Should a hypothetical investigator from an alien race descend upon earth to study humanity, without any preconceptions or biases, here’s what I suspect would be the conclusion about the Catholic Church: At its core, it’s more a sociological than an ideological reality. That is to say, Catholicism is more a family than a political party. Read more
I was reading the Los Angeles Times before I went to my first rock concert. Before my first PG movie, probably. I’ve been reading the Times for so long I can remember when it was conservative. I would get the paper for my dad from the driveway every morning. Standing in bare feet on the Read more
Last year, New Zealanders gave more than $4 billion to the country’s 28,000 registered charities. The overall income they bring in is far higher than that – more than $21 billion, which is comparable to the value of the country’s dairy exports. Charities employ about 145,000 people and more than 200,000 of us volunteer for Read more
In June 2022, an EV Mercedes drove from Germany to the UK on a single charge, travelling more than 1,200km (750 miles) without needing to stop. The average petrol- or diesel-powered car would have had to refill its tank three times on the same journey, though there was a catch. The electric vehicle was a Read more
This is one of the most important sessions of this Conference. In it, we come to a question – of what we believe about human dignity, including sexuality – that is deeply dividing, not only for Anglicans but for every part of God’s global church. This conference is one of the few places where we Read more
When Pope Francis gave his first full-length interview after his election in 2013, he was asked about the importance of the church providing solid points of reference in a rapidly changing world. The new pope pulled out his thumb-worn breviary and read out a Latin quote from a fifth-century French monk. Highlighting the words of Read more
Too many disabled people encounter excuses when they ask for access to worship spaces. “It’s not in our budget,” religious leaders will say to the wheelchair user who can’t fit into a bathroom stall. Or, “We can’t make that alteration just for you.” Budget constraints are real, but too often, enabling greater access to people Read more
Despite the sins of its members, the Christian faith is far greater than opinion polls in the news. It shouldn’t surprise, given the 2021 census results concerning religion, those critical of Christianity and the Catholic Church have used the fall in numbers to suggest religion is moribund and no longer relevant to Australian society. With Read more
Pope Francis’ six-day pastoral visit to Canada was a great success. It wasn’t until the news conference on the plane back to Rome that it became clear he wasn’t properly briefed for his visit. Francis, in Canada on what he called a penitential pilgrimage, apologized to the Indigenous peoples of the country for the Catholic Church’s Read more
Watching local television news is not something I often do. Last week I decided I’d give it a go. Collective Noun What is the collective noun for banality presenters? Is it a “glut of banalisers” or a “nonsense of news readers”? Whatever the collective noun, NZ television news has cornered the banality market and raised Read more