The memoirs of trailblazing priest John Wijngaards contain a weight of wisdom on how the Church can free itself of antiquated beliefs and fulfil its true mission. (more…)
Category: Religion
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How Christ inspires us to lives better lives for ourselves and others
Many Christians are honouring the message of December 25 and the teachings of Christ from beyond the institutional church.
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Lessons in loneliness at Christmas from Dorothy Day
Following Dorothy Day’s example, facing our emptiness is the first step to asking and receiving the healing grace of Christmas.
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A universal story of hope for today’s world, whatever you believe
Questions about the birth story of Jesus and his divinity are secondary to his message of love and peace, which has never been more relevant.
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Christmas, Jesus, and the promise of a new way of being human
The revolutionary vision of a free, equal and inclusive society that Jesus preached as an adult has survived in tact.
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Finding meaning in Christmas for all Australians
The overriding emotion of Christmas should be awe and wonder — it’s a time to reflect and put life into perspective.
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Christmas matters, but Christians are really Easter people
Christmas Day is a latecomer to the Christmas party. For Christians, the birth of Jesus is overshadowed by the resurrection of the Saviour.
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Catholic leaders should not fear ‘doing a new thing’
The disregard shown to the hopes of lay people at the first general assembly of the Catholic Church’s Fifth Plenary Council should not be repeated.
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Bishops’ opposition to equal opportunity laws exposes their own teaching
By opposing Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Bill, Catholic bishops’ demonstrate the tension in their church’s teaching on discrimination.
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‘America does not care what will happen to Palestinian Christians’
For Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Michel Sabbah, America closed the door for peace in Jerusalem when it moved its embassy to the city.
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A ‘democratic’ church’s misstep on marriage equality
The move by Baptists in NSW/ACT to disassociate churches and pastors who welcome married gay people is based on a misuse of scripture. (more…)
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Back to the future — governance in the Catholic Church
Catholics cannot afford to get bogged down in their own frequent failures to meet the challenges of the times.
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Lessons from progressive Catholics for the Plenary Council
Historically, the Church has thrived on the margins. Today, that potential continues to beckon.
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Were the good old days in the Catholic Church really that good?
To heal from the child sex abuse tragedy, the Catholic Church must be more inclusive and go to the people on the margins.
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Hope springs eternal: The case for Catholic women priests
It takes time for managers to acknowledge and appreciate change makers. The historical Jesus discovered this in his 30s. Even popes need remedial theological education. (more…)
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Plenary Council: The hardest work is yet to come
Solemn High Mass at St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane with Archbishop Mark Coleridge has brought to a close the First Assembly of the Plenary Council. What direction are we heading? What is our Catholic identity? Did we come as far as could reasonably be expected? (more…)
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The Plenary Council has been a masterclass in avoiding the real problems in the Catholic Church.
The present model of the Catholic Church has far outlasted its relevance. The time has come for all Catholics to tell Rome loudly and clearly: the monarchical model isn’t fit for purpose and has to go.
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Plenary Council: The Church needs to change with the times
The Catholic Church needs a renaissance to be effective in its mission, as the Plenary Council faces the challenges of an evolving, complex world.
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Political choices will test new, Catholic NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet
The contemporary Liberal Party is full of Catholics, so it’s unsurprising that the church has one of its own as NSW’s new premier. Only time will tell how much Dominic Perrottet’s religion will influence his leadership.
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The dark shadow of scandal still lurks four years after the Royal Commission findings
Unless all the implications of the sex abuse scandal are faced head-on, the Church will struggle to be identified for anything else.
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Plenary Council: Time to test the full range of issues facing the church not just in Australia but France.
The rubber has hit the road at the Plenary Council, but there are still nine months to go before resolution.
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Will Catholics get what they want from the Plenary Council?
Will the bishops take their leadership role seriously? We cannot go on with business as usual. (more…)
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Catholic Plenary Council: What hope for success?
The fifth Plenary Council of Australia opened on Sunday with a solemn Mass and mixed expectations. For over it hangs a critical question: can it deliver the much-needed renewal of a drifting and wounded Church gone off mission?
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Insights from the Plenary Assembly where reaching out can be difficult
John Warhurst, a member/delegate at the Catholic plenary, is writing a daily blog on his thoughts from the assembly. (more…)
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Catholic Plenary awakens hope despite women’s fading trust in the hierarchy
Andrea Dean was director of the office for women in the Catholic Church until the office and her position were defunded. Despite fading trust in the leadership of the church, the Plenary Council has awakened her hopes for change. (more…)
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Three Catholic Archbishops: A viral infection
One would hope that, at a time of crisis, archbishops would be careful not to lend their authority in a way that could be construed as supporting anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown sentiments.
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Don’t undermine the moral clarity of the fight against antisemitism
Giving the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition a special status it was never intended to have undermines the moral clarity of the fight against antisemitism.
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The Plenary Council agenda is not fit for purpose
The approaching Plenary Council agenda have a vision of how the Church can best model and build the Kingdom of God, encourage open, bold, and Spirit-guided discussion and discernment, and lead to consensus decisions on how best to provide for the pastoral needs of the people of God.
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Cracking open the Plenary Council: Helpers wanted for Mark Coleridge and the Holy Spirit. Part 2
Mark Coleridge will be a pivotal figure in the plenary “summit” on reforms in the Australian Catholic Church. But will the support of Pope Francis, many lay Catholics and possibly the Holy Spirit be enough to shift the Pell acolytes?
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The Australian Catholic Church’s angle of vanishing stability
Real leadership is needed at the Australian Catholic Church’s Plenary Council, to be held next month. Without it, the church risks sinking.