A long time ago I went out with a guy who cheated at Monopoly. It was a game with a few of his friends, which I didn’t think was meant to be competitive at all. However, I was surprised to discover that this so called boyfriend was happily pilfering money from the treasury when everyone Read more
Jose Gomez has set a stunning example of what the church should be doing. ‘I FIND these files [about priests who sexually abused children] to be brutal and painful reading. The behaviour described in these files is terribly sad and evil. There is no excuse, no explaining away what happened to these children. The priests Read more
Two of the highest profile buildings badly damaged in the Christchurch earthquake of February 2011 were the two Cathedrals. The Anglican gothic building in the centre of Cathedral Square was a city landmark. The rebuilding project has been marked by controversy; the Dean has resigned and a group of architects has taken the Diocese to Read more
When it comes to tonight’s Super Bowl, 3 in 10 Americans are betting on God. A new study by the Public Religion Research Institute found that one-third of the country believes God plays a role in determining which team wins. And Americans are even more certain about the players themselves. A majority believe God rewards individual Read more
The Catholic Church is no stranger to criticism from those who disagree with its teachings, but the petition posted recently on the White House Web site to label the church a “hate group” is beyond the pale, even in an age when an aggressive secularism seeks to marginalize the influence of religious belief. The church has long been Read more
On Wednesday Peter McClellan, the NSW Supreme Court Judge leading the royal commission into child abuse in institutions, told the media that the commission’s task will be long and complex. No surprises there. His point was to contain expectations among the media that the commission would be anything other than a hard slog, and that Read more
Paul Holmes, who recently became Sir Paul Holmes, is arguably the best known media personality in New Zealand’s television history. He’s someone who has always had an edge about him that has meant he possibly hasn’t been the most loved New Zealand media personality, but he’s always been my favourite interviewer, which for many years Read more
On December 12, Pope Benedict, like no other pope, opened himself up to the world on Twitter. Twitter is a disruptive technology; it challenges, changes and threatens. Introducing the pope to Twitter was always likely to involve some risk. But, however, we are told the Vatican understands the risk and remains hopeful the involvement on Read more
As I was looking for a lens through which I could frame a 2012 retrospective editorial, a colleague asked me to recommend a good article on the topic ‘the media and the vulnerable’. Looking at our archive, I discovered this was a constant throughout the year. Still current is the fallout of actions of 2DAY FM employees Read more
Following the High Court (Justice Chisholm J) ruling that no further deconstruction of the Christchurch Cathedral should take place until further consideration and consultation between the Church Property Trustees (CPT), the Great Christchurch Buildings Trust (GCBT) and the Court, has taken place, the GCBT is endeavouring to work with the CPT and the Bishop, to Read more