While attending a Holy See press conference about nine or ten years ago, I pointed out to the officials who were unveiling a new document that a number of things in the text did not appear to be in line with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). Immediately, some of the younger colleagues Read more
Sixty years ago this week, Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council, Vatican II, in St Peter’s Basilica. The council, which produced over a dozen documents and initiated sweeping reforms, is difficult to summarise. It is not any easier to summarise the timeline of reactions since those documents were promulgated. One reading goes like Read more
Can the study the of theology be part of the synodal path of the Catholic Church? In an earlier article I argued that it should. Here I want to give a more concrete form to the argument by looking at a basic problem of Christian theology and a current problem in Catholic practice. We all Read more
COVID-19 restrictions are winding down and in Australia, as of Friday anyone who tests positive will no longer be required to isolate. It is one of the last COVID rules to be scrapped following two years of restrictions lead by health advice. Masks, too, seem to be being left behind. Once mandatory in public places, Read more
It’s a message young people in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hear early and often: You should get married because marriage is wonderful and family life is at the heart of the faith. The problem is that church leaders haven’t grasped the power of cultural trends in technology, education and economics that Read more
As we embark on the path of seeking a synodal Church, can having a wider range of Christians engage in theological study help us? I have argued that it can foster a more conscious discipleship and help us see new ways through our difficulties. But can it bring us, with the Holy Spirit’s help, light Read more
“Faith seeking understanding” is a good definition of belief. Faith is our experience of God and belief is our attempt to express that experience in words and symbols. When we attempt to describe our experiences of God, we necessarily express ourselves in the symbols, words, and rituals that are products of our culture. All of Read more
Recently in The New York Times, guest writer Francis Sanzaro wrote a beautiful reflection on the experience of walking. Often we think of walking in terms of what it can deliver us: A reduction of anxiety! An increase in creativity! Our much-vaunted steps! He says we’ve got it all wrong. The real gift of a walk Read more
For decades, viewers have enjoyed the Japanese reality TV series “Old Enough!” in which preschool children venture into the streets alone to run errands for their parents. What if American women asked their live-in boyfriends to stop playing video games, leave their couches and run errands? In the “Saturday Night Live” sketch “Old Enough! Longterm Read more
The NZ Synod response cannot turn to custard. Issues only go away when they are dealt with. The New Zealand Catholic Bishop’s Conference National Synthesis sent to Rome on 16th August 2022 completes New Zealand’s stage in the synodal process. Responses from each Diocese were categorized under 6 themes: Inclusion, Gathering, Leadership, Education & Formation, Read more