Peter Donnan

Now retired, Peter spent forty-three years in education, teaching in NSW State and Catholic high schools for seventeen years. He then worked in academic staff development at two Australian universities – Charles Sturt University [Wagga Wagga] and The University of Canberra. He attends meetings of Concerned Catholics Canberra Goulburn and is particularly interested in how Catholic media can support reform agendas.

Peter's recent articles

PETER DONNAN. Pell-mell and reform paths in Catholic media

What type of underlying values were revealed by the Australian media, particularly Catholic media, in their reporting of Cardinal Pells successful appeal to the High Court? Clearly the case was polarising in Australian cultural life, and has been described in terms of a witch-hunt, scapegoating, prejudicial legally appalling and reflecting very poorly on the ABC, Victorian police and aspects of the justice system.

PETER DONNAN. The Plenary Council: Searching for Australian Catholics

Approximately 8% to 10% of those who identify as Catholics are regular mass attenders and almost a third of these are between 60 and 74; decline in mass attendance has been occurring since the 1950s, according to the National Centre for Pastoral Research. Many Catholics have fled the pews, following an era of sexual abuse of children and the shame of the Churchs response. Cardinal Pell, the senior cleric in Australia, is in jail, awaiting a judgement by the High Court on a leave to appeal. Is this time the dark night of the soul for practising Catholics in Australia?

PETER DONNAN. Is church reform supported by Australian Catholic media?

Despite rhetoric around listening and discernment, Australian Catholic media are not generally forums where diverse perspectives are to be found. Many diocesan Catholic publications do not include Letters to the Editor and discussions are outsourced to social media such as Facebook and Twitter. An exception in Australia is the Jesuit online site, Eureka Street and one gets a sense of its ethos from the remarks of contributing editor, Andrew Hamilton, SJ, who writes of a commitment to a public conversation that is open and courteous. Its editors hope that readers will engage with what is written, explore the arguments deeply,...

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