The election to take place in the Vatican from next week is probably a lot more consequential than the one now taking place in Australia, even if there is a good chance that white smoke will be coming from the chimneys at the Australian Electoral Office earlier than those from the Vatican Apartments. (more…)
Category: Religion
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The legacy of a Jesuit pope
Francis was a pope prepared to blur the edges of doctrine, or at least its application, opening the doors of the Church to all those seeking love, mercy and forgiveness.
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ACCCR calls for ethical and responsible leadership in the federal election
As Australians prepare to vote in the upcoming federal election, the Australasian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (ACCCR) is calling on voters, political leaders, and policymakers to place social justice, compassion, and integrity at the forefront of governance. (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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Even in sickness, Pope Francis reached out to Gaza’s Christians
For months, the pontiff spoke by telephone almost every night with people sheltering in a Catholic church in the battered enclave, a ritual he tried to keep up in the hospital. (more…)
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Pope Francis dies at 88 after final appeal for Gaza ceasefire
“Will the millions who will mourn his death these coming days respect this wish of his? Will they care for Gazans and Palestinians the way he did?” (more…)
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Explainer | What happens after Pope Francis’ death?
Following Pope Francis’ death, key rituals commence, including sealing his flat, destroying the ring, and funeral arrangements. (more…)
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Faith and public policy
Easter is as good a time as any to be reminded that Christianity has a contribution in the formulation of public policy. (more…)
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Easter: More rising than falling
“I call upon heaven and earth this day to witness that I have put before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life! Choose life, so that you and your descendants may live.” (Deuteronomy, 30:19) (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 Thereafter
A few years ago, approaching Christmas, I received a phone call from a gentleman named Mark Feary. He was the curator of the Silvershot Gallery in Flinders Lane at the back of St Paul’s Cathedral in central Melbourne. (more…)
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The Coalition commits to Christian Nationalism
The Republican Party thought it could ride the tiger of the Christian Right: instead, that movement swallowed the party whole. (more…)
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Building peace through contemplation, compassion and our common humanity
We acknowledge respectfully the Boonwurrung people and the elders and people of the Eastern Kulin nation who have traditional connections with, and responsibility for, the land on which we meet. (more…)
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Will the real God please stand up?
In a lovely, heartfelt post on this website on 10 February, responding to the ongoing crisis in Israel/Palestine, with the three great monotheistic religions — Judaism, Islam and Christianity — once again seemingly in collision, Eric Hunter gave voice to the question on everyone’s lips: why does God seem to sit back and do nothing to stop all the murder and mayhem? (more…)
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God doesn’t save the day – oh, but yes, they do!
Hi. I’m responding, if I may be so bold, to Eric Hunter’s lovely, heartfelt post on February 10, “Why doesn’t God save the day?” I want to answer Eric’s question in a very direct and positive way, but also (shamelessly) put in a plug for my new book, The God who doesn’t Exist, out now through ATF Press (see the link below*). (more…)
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Empathy, culpability and madness
Is Trump mad? If declining to share the joys and troubles of the whole human race, to decline a seat at humanity’s common table is a form of madness – then yes, Donald J Trump is mad. (more…)
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A massacre in Sharifa
The residents of the Syrian village of Sharifa lay in puddles and rivulets of blood. Some died with arms outstretched; others seemed to clutch protectively at their chests. Most had been executed with shots to the head and two women had their faces blown apart. (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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The fruits of American bishops’ failure
Five years ago, J.D. Vance, who is now the vice-president of the United States, received the Sacraments of Initiation at St Gertrude Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. (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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Trump and Christianity – Why it matters
Trump has created what he calls a ‘Faith Office’ within the White House and appointed a Pentecostal pastor from Florida, Paula White, to lead it. Ms White, widely described in mainstream Christianity as a heretic, teaches a transactional faith. In other words, faith is demonstrated in prosperity. (more…)
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Pope Francis and zero tolerance of child sexual abuse
Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has publicly claimed eight times that the Catholic Church practises “zero tolerance” towards child sexual abuse by clergy. At worst, this is simply untrue, and at best, like Humpty Dumpty in Alice in Wonderland, he makes the expression mean whatever he wants it to mean. (more…)
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Why doesn’t God save the day?
The catastrophic conflict between Israel and the Palestinians (the present “ceasefire” notwithstanding) has done nothing to relieve the centuries-old contradictions that exist between and within our three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. (more…)
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The widow’s mite: a call to justice, not sacrifice
The early Quakers knew that a deep understanding of the Bible was critical to recognising when they were being fed bullshit cloaked in religious language. By knowing Scripture well, they resisted manipulation and propaganda, ensuring faith remained a force for justice rather than a tool of power. (more…)
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The missing story of the adulteress: censorship, power, and the bible
By grappling with the history of the story of the adulteress, we are reminded to approach Scripture critically, aware of how it has been shaped and reshaped to suit power. In doing so, we ensure that its calls for justice, equity, and mercy are not silenced but remain central to our understanding of faith and humanity. (more…)
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The Liberal party, Moira Deeming and political Christianity
In Australian politics at federal and state level, it is desirable and appropriate that politicians with a religious commitment are elected to office, while also at times keeping separate their professional roles from private convictions for the sake of constituents and members of the community who do not belong to that faith. (more…)
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End, end the Gaza genocide
Worshippers of Death, They will remain such, In the annals of human history. Never forgiven, Never forgotten, For the genocide, They perpetrated! … (more…)
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Hope: A shared responsibility
In uncertain times, hope can feel fragile, but it remains essential. It’s up to the adults in the room to foster resilience and take practical steps to inspire and support future generations. (more…)
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A (very) personal theology of disability
Who am I? I am an old man. I use a wheelchair. I had polio in 1948. I cannot remember a time when I could walk and run like other people, or when I wasn’t obviously and visibly different. I have lived with pain. But I have had a good and conventionally successful life – a long and loving marriage, two wonderful adult children, grandchildren and a rewarding career. (more…)
