Religion and Faith
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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. Continue reading »
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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. Continue reading »
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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. Continue reading »
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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. Continue reading »
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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? Continue reading »
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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. Continue reading »
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Kim Chen: Catholic leaders’ ‘irresponsible’ vaccine statements put vulnerable at risk
The Australasian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform is very concerned at the confusing vaccination leadership from the Catholic Church in Australia. Continue reading »
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Plenary Council: Opportunity for Church to Restore Human Rights
Having for the first time chosen ‘no religion’ instead of Catholic in the Census, I do not feel entitled to write about the Church from a religious perspective. Instead, my comments are from a human rights viewpoint, the Church being an institution with considerable influence on Australian society and government. Continue reading »
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The Plenary Council: Consulting the faithful
The episcopal and clerical members of the Australian Plenary Council should be particularly attentive to the voices of the laity when they address the council’s agenda. Continue reading »
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Catholic reform movement gathers momentum
The movement for reform of the Catholic Church in Australia is gathering momentum with more than 1200 people attending the online forum, hearing powerful Indigenous and international voices. Continue reading »
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What good may come from the plenary council
Anyone who’s been an active Catholic for 80 years, as I have, may well have heard at different stages of life, 5 or 6 bishops extolling the achievement of the Council of Jerusalem but has likely never heard any bishop quote St. Luke’s key words “after much disputing”. Continue reading »
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Identifying antisemitism is not always clear cut
The Jewish community’s awareness of the threat of racism and antisemitism is longstanding. That awareness extends across political boundaries and is part of a general desire to live in a cohesive society, tolerant of diversity. Continue reading »
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If true-blue Pentecostalists were in charge what would they do about climate change?
If true-blue Pentecostals were in charge, they would take no action to mitigate climate change. Not only that, they would also actively intervene to stop those who try. Continue reading »
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Doctrinal and structural Catholic Church transformation
Transformation most often happens not when something new begins, but when something old falls apart. It is change but not restoration. Transformation is a new configuration. For the church it means a doctrinal as well as a structural transformation. Continue reading »
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What we might hope from the Catholic Plenary Council!
You are hopeless. You are not listening to me. Continue reading »
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Religious America is in decline
As a Catholic I often feel that the church tries to speak the Gospel but church structures have remained monarchical and unaccountable. Most often, when confronting serious problems like clerical sexual abuse, it still adheres to policies promoting secrecy and protecting the church’s reputation. Continue reading »
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Making atheists and doubters count in the next Census
While fundamentalist Christians are busy infiltrating the Liberal Party the Rationalist Society of Australia (RSA) and other groups have launched a campaign – the Census 21 Campaign – to encourage people to tick the no religion box in the August 10 2021 Australian Census. Continue reading »
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Renew the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne or sink into the sunset.
Archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, now accepts that his diocese is in a huge existential crisis. He told his diocesan clergy on 28 April 2021 and parish lay leaders on 22 May 2021 that the diocese is on a ‘threshold’ and either we do something or ‘sink into the sunset’. Continue reading »
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The difference between fake and genuine apologies
These days there are frequent apologies, non-apologies, refusals to apologise and extended qualifications of apologies with weasel phrases such as “this is not who we are” – despite the behaviour of the organisation uttering the words obviously being exactly who and what they are. Continue reading »
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Catholic Plenary Council – an opportunity for Indigenous reconciliation
It is encouraging that the Instrumentum Laboris (Working Document) of the Catholic Plenary Council due to meet in October 2021 affirms, “We honour and acknowledge the continuing deep spiritual relationship of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to this country and commit ourselves to the ongoing journey of reconciliation”. Continue reading »
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US Catholic Bishops have President Biden in their sights over abortion rights
In what many observers see as a growing episcopal polarization, the US Catholic bishops, the USCCB, in their 2021 spring meeting, voted to advance their “Communion document”. The draft document passed by 75% of the bishops’ conference advances a push by conservative US bishops to deny President Biden communion because of his support for abortion Continue reading »
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Pope Francis’ reforms the Church’s disciplinary system in response to royal commission
One of the main reasons for the Catholic Church shifting around abusive priests was because its disciplinary system was dysfunctional. Far more children were abused than would have occurred if it had a decent one. The Royal Commission made recommendations for change, and Pope Francis has adopted some of them, but he has retained two Continue reading »
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Now or never: Remarks by John Warhurst at Book Launch of Wrestling with the Church Hierarchy
It is now or never for the Catholic Church’s Vatican Two generation. They must continue to wrestle with the church hierarchy if the forthcoming Plenary Council is to have any chance of achieving its potential. Continue reading »
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Australian Catholic media censorship, Pravda style.
There’s a Plenary Council coming up in October 2021 and it is slated to be an opportunity for renewal for the Catholic Church in this country.But is there room for dialogue when evan an Archbishop is gagged? Continue reading »
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The struggle for real reform in the Australian Catholic Church: Catholics and their bishops are at odds
Australians should be concerned about what is happening currently in the Catholic church. Catholics are engaged in a review of their church in this country, yet there is growing evidence the process is being manipulated. Continue reading »
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History clarifies and history challenges for the Catholic Church
It was a strange conversation. A friend who was, at that time, an American archbishop had congratulated me on an academic promotion. He slapped me on the back in his customary gung ho way and said: “You are a smart guy, a theologian, but remember that I have something you don’t have.” Continue reading »
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History lessons for critiques on Christianity
Before we worry too much about school students, it’s the adults who need remedial history lessons if two recent articles are anything to go by. Continue reading »
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Scott Morrison. Politics and Pentecostalism 101
Scott Morrison’s personal religion is entirely his own business. However, given recent public statements about his beliefs, by himself and in the media, it is legitimate to ask about Pentecostalism in Australia and its relationship, if any, to politics and politicians. Continue reading »
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Catholicism must grow up
Catholic reform leader, Sr Joan Chittister OSB, has told a large Australian audience that Catholicism “must grow up” and that Catholics want a reformed Church. Sr Joan boosted the calls for change in the Australian Catholic church in an inspiring address to a 3,000-strong audience. Continue reading »
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Our Christian heritage and the culture wars
The culture war drum-beats are sounding again – pounded out by the usual suspects in the Murdoch media and among shock jocks and the Morrison Government. Continue reading »