The Australian Catholic Church lost one of its genuine leaders on Monday morning with the death of 83-year-old Bishop Patrick Power, retired Auxiliary-Bishop of Canberra Goulburn. (more…)
Paul Collins
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Vale Pat Power, a true minister
The Australian Catholic Church lost one of its genuine leaders on Monday morning with the death of 83-year-old Bishop Patrick Power, retired Auxiliary-Bishop of Canberra Goulburn. (more…)
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50 years of ‘the meddling priest’
Not only is Frank Brennan Australia’s best known Catholic priest, but he has also contributed much to Australia’s public life, above all to those most marginalised. (more…)
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Twisting biblical narratives to suit aggression
You have to hand it to Benjamin Netanyahu; he can tweet a biblical story. But Jesus’ words on forgiveness still stand. (more…)
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The New Pope – Leo XIV
I thought it might be third time lucky, but I was wrong again. I backed the wrong horse as pope! (more…)
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Will the new pope be a Francis clone?
The 133 cardinals under the age of 80 have been in formal regular sessions in the Vatican most days listening to each other’s speeches and, more importantly, getting together in informal meetings in ecclesiastical colleges, restaurants, embassies, apartments, and pizza parlours in the Borgo near the Vatican. (more…)
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Pope Francis was a man from the peripheries
In the much-discussed novel and movie Conclave, the cardinals eventually elected a truly pastoral, caring man as pope, someone close to the people – just like Pope Francis. (more…)
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Easter, triumph of life over death
On 11 April, P&I published a wonderful Geoff Pryor cartoon showing “first semester exam results” for a self-satisfied Donald Trump lying back comfortably in a lounge chair. (more…)
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The next pope?
Popes have been in the news lately. The excellent book and film Conclave give us a sneak preview of what happens in the election process, and Pope Francis’ illness has kept the whole business in the news. (more…)
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Pitt may not be best fit as ambassador to the Holy See
Diplomatic appointments usually don’t get much news coverage unless it’s a retiring politician getting appointed. Apparently Australian ambassador to the Holy See is one such plum job. (more…)
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Earth first: a foundational moral principle
COP29 was a failure not because there wasn’t enough money on offer, but because it ignored population. (more…)
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Pope Francis’ latest ‘creations’
Pope Francis has just ‘created’ (appointed) twenty-one new cardinals, twenty of whom under the age of 80 will elect his successor. Among them is a bishop in Australia.
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In a wheel chair to the peripheries
Eighty-seven-year-old Pope Francis’ trip to Indonesia, Papua-New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore shows he’s not slowing up. (more…)
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Digital technology: blessing or curse?
The challenge we face with digital technology is not just managing it; it’s about what it’s doing to us. (more…)
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The Olympic Games are not neutral and often used for non-sporting political and cultural purposes as the Paris Opening showed
I’ve never been a fan of the Olympics, although I occasionally check to see how Australia is going on the medal tally. I watched a bit of the opening extravaganza – it certainly wasn’t a “ceremony” – but got bored with Gallic self-importance, so I missed the Last Supper parody with a drag queen representing Jesus. (more…)
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Religion and the census
The Census is important because it tells us so much about ourselves. But the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) is complicating the data we collect on religion. (more…)
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A Catholic church responsive to the human needs of our fellow citizens
Analysing contemporary Catholicism requires a bit more knowledge than merely quoting a couple of reactionary Catholics – as does a recent New Statesman article. (more…)
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Podcast: Herzl’s Nightmare — one land, two peoples
Paul Collins interviews former Australian Ambassador to Israel, Peter Rodgers, on the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Zionist movement and the creation of the Israeli state, and the ongoing crisis in Gaza. (more…)
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Stan Grant on Good Friday, Easter, and God’s absence in our suffering world
I never thought I’d see an inspiring Easter reflection in the usually secular, The Saturday Paper. But last Saturday (March 23) there was Stan Grant, writing on the Christian feast. (more…)
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Amidst strategic stalemate, Ukraine war remains Vatican priority
Two years since the Russian invasion, Ukraine has faded from the headlines. But not in the Vatican and for the man who might be the next Pope. (more…)
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Vatican – Israel rupture over Gaza
The invasion of Gaza, described by Pope Francis as ‘terrorism’, is causing strained relationships between Israel and the Vatican. (more…)
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Could Pope Francis provide some hope for peace in the Middle East?
I really didn’t want to write this article; I’d rather be saying something about the theological meaning of Christmas. Much safer. (more…)
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Tuvalu: Paradise lost?
The recent treaty with Tuvalu opens the way for a more generous treatment of Pacific people. (more…)
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Climate disaster: Pope Francis repudiates developed world’s economics and culture
‘It is no longer possible to doubt the human origin of climate change’ (Pope Francis). (more…)
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Has Australian Catholic University just lost the right to call itself “Catholic”?
Where’s Cardinal George Pell when you need him? Gone to God, I know, but as one of the founders and a former Chancellor of Australian Catholic University (ACU), he would be horrified at what is currently happening there. Why? (more…)
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Political instability and Niger’s biggest problem
West Africa is emerging as a highly unstable region and massive over-population is at the heart of the problem. (more…)
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Is Pope Francis preparing for the next pope and an “October revolution” in Catholicism?
Its mid-summer in Rome and last week there was a heat wave with a top temperature of 38° Celsius. Hot days in Rome are stifling, with the heat compounded by the over-whelming influx of tourists. (more…)
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Our digital Aunty
The ABC is in trouble again as it abandons its cultural role to become “fully digital” by 2028. (more…)
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The Voice and Reconciliation
The Voice is beyond politics. It’s about reconciliation between two profoundly different cultures and approaches to life. (more…)
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Vale, Stan Grant
Stan Grant is always intelligent, insightful and provocative. He demonstrated this in his extraordinary farewell piece last Monday night on the ABC’s Q+A. (more…)