When Mary Goulding first awoke from 12 days in a coma following a horrific car accident in late-May, her first thought was, “what am I doing here? I have basketball training to get to”. Soon after, as the reality of her situation emerged, the mindset shifted. That’s when she realised how lucky she was just Read more
With the seemingly endless stream of Australian royal commissions taking place, about to take place or called for, the ethical and cultural leadership practices of both government and non-government organisations are well and truly in the spotlight of public scrutiny. And rightly so. People make decisions to behave unethically and destructively, but they do so Read more
On June 20, 2023, the Synod of Bishops published a synod working document to guide the first session of the Synod on the future of the Church, scheduled for October 2023. This “Instrumentum Laboris” (“instrument of work” in Latin), is intended to help the synodal assembly’s 370 members in their reflection. “Church,” “Synod” and “how” Read more
Income and wealth inequality has risen in many countries in recent decades. Rising inequality and related disparities and anxieties have been stoking social discontent and are a major driver of the increased political polarisation and populist nationalism that are so evident today. An increasingly unequal society can weaken trust in public institutions and undermine democratic Read more
We’re doing a lot of talking right now regarding education. But we are forgetting something that goes beyond talking and demands action – the rangatahi at the heart of our education system. Our young people have, for the last few years, experienced the unprecedented nature of a pandemic – lockdowns with education being dished out Read more
Oscar Romero was the Archbishop of San Salvador from 1977 until he was assassinated while celebrating Mass in March 1980. He was initially regarded as a conservative choice as archbishop; however, he became increasingly outspoken about human rights violations in El Salvador – particularly after the murder of his close friend Fr Rutilio Grande in Read more
Researchers have created synthetic human embryos using stem cells, according to media reports. Remarkably, these embryos have reportedly been created from embryonic stem cells, meaning they do not require sperm and ova. This development, widely described as a breakthrough that could help scientists learn more about human development and genetic disorders, was revealed this week Read more
Protestant churches have always prided themselves on their preaching and music, especially non-Eucharistic churches that rely on the Bible alone to shape their Sunday services. At the other end of the spectrum are Catholic churches, which have a deep eucharistic tradition and the worst preaching and music in the country. At least, this is the Read more
Women play a vital role in passing on the faith to the next generation. But when 99% of Catholic churches have a male preacher this Sunday in a world where 50% of the Catholic population are women, it’s time for our daughters and granddaughters — and sons and grandsons — to see us naming out Read more
Food prices are rising at the fastest rate in almost four decades, with fruit and vegetables up more than 22 percent in the past year. As often happens during a cost of living crisis, there have been calls to remove the goods and services tax (GST) from fresh produce. But is this actually a good Read more