003 :
01 Jan 2007

Perspectives on Spirituality and Religion written by young people Pt III – Armen Gakavian Dr Armen Gakavian summarises his spiritual journey in this way: "I have had an Armenian Apostolic (Orthodox) upbringing, Catholic religious education at school, encounter with Jesus through a fundamentalist Baptist Church, involvement with various campus Christian groups, and encounters with radical Christian communities. At the 'end' (there is really no end) of this process, I am now what I would call 'evangelical'." His essay is illuminating not only of his own personal journey but seeks to provide commentary on why so many of his contemporaries are today distanced from the Church. [Editor's introduction][Ben's perspective][Phoebe's perspective][Armen's perspective]

020 :
01 Jan 2007

"Loyal Dissent" by Fr Charles Curran reviewed by Dr Christine Roussel Historian, Dr Christine Roussel, has long been a supporter of progressive endeavours in the Church and she was one of the first to offer encouragement when we were setting up Catholica Australia. The following review of Fr Charles Curran's latest book, "Loyal Dissent", has been published in the current edition (Vol 18 No 6, Nov-Dec 2006) of ARCC Light which is not yet available online. [more]

005 :
31 Dec 2006

The challenge posed by political correctness and moral relativism... Dr Andrew Kania presents a challenging reflection for us to see out the year. Partly inspired by the commentaries during the week from two of his former students, Ben and Phoebe Coyne, as well as other contemporary events, Andrew argues we need to guard against moral relativism. [more]

024 :
30 Dec 2006

The story behind the 12 days of Christmas... After a break last week, Ian Elmer returns today for a last look at the meaning of the season we are presently celebrating. His commentary looks at the origins and meaning in the popular story about The Twelve Days of Christmas. [more]

002 :
29 Dec 2006

Perspectives on Spirituality and Religion written by young people Pt II – Phoebe Coyne Phoebe is the eldest child of the editor, Brian Coyne. She is 30 years old, and is currently completing an arts degree at Murdoch University. If Alex Caughey was concerned about new age ideas and spirituality in his response to Ben's essay he has even more to contend with in what Phoebe writes. The reality is that many young people today are disenchanted with the Catholic way of exploring and explaining spirituality and they are exploring alternative pathways. Phoebe's essay might help explain at least some of the disenchantment one young person feels. [Editor's introduction][Ben's perspective][Phoebe's perspective]

001 :
26 Dec 2006

Perspectives on Spirituality and Religion written by young people Pt I – Benedict Coyne We begin today a special series on the perspectives of young people on religion and spirituality. Today we bring you the introduction to the series and the first perspective written by Benedict Coyne, the 28 year old, eldest son of the Editor. The Editor's introduction includes a copy of the briefing note that was sent to the young people. Ben is an arts graduate from Murdoch University, has this year successfully completed a post-graduate course in counselling in Perth, and has been accepted to study law at Southern Cross University in NSW. He has been a leader in many activist endeavours in the realm of human rights, social justice, sustainability and ecology in all the States of Australia. He has also travelled extensively overseas and all his travels and studies have largely been self-financed through part-time work and by himself living in a very sustainable and economical way that gives very practical voice to his beliefs. His extensive commentary gives an excellent overview of his spiritual outlook and his attitudes towards institutionalised religion and religiosity. [Editor's introduction][Ben's perspective]

009 :
25 Dec 2006

"The Breath of Heaven" In a reflection that might take your breath away, Dawn Bowie provides us with an audio-visual experience for Christmas Day that perhaps only a woman could write. May it bring a deep experience of peace and lack of resistance into your day … the year ahead … and into your life. [more]

008 :
24 Dec 2006

A spiritual reflection for Christmas Eve... Today and tomorrow we have two gentle spiritual reflections. Today's comes from Andrew Kania wherein he argues "The message of Christmas is in itself a call to humility … [it] can be seen as the message of Divine love carried to us by the voice of the child." His reflection is accompanied by a gentle Christmas lullaby performed by Amanda McKenna. [more]

018 :
23 Dec 2006

"Our political leaders must listen to the voice of the oppressed in this Holy Land" Patriarch Michel Sabbah's Christmas message underlines the enormous contradiction that Bethlehem presents to our world today. [more]

003 :
22 Dec 2006

Evaluating beauty... In today's commentary Andrew Kania was partly stimulated by the recent discussion here on self-esteem and self-respect. His commentary is exploring the ways in which we value the beauty to be found in others. He explores a number of places where writers such as Balzac, St John Chrysostom, Naomi Wolf and others have written on the matter. [more]

017 :
21 Dec 2006

Remembering those who cannot be with us at Christmas... Rosemary Canavan invites us, amidst all the joy and celebrations, to remember those who cannot be with us this Christmas. [more]

029 :
20 Dec 2006

Celebrating Christmas... Peregrinus, in his usual style, really does present a different twist to the usual sort of reflections and homilies we can expect at this time of the year. [more]

042 :
19 Dec 2006

The beginnings of the crisis in authority Tom has prepared a special presentation based on a segment from Edward Stourton's 1998 book and television documentary, Absolute Truth – The Catholic Church in the World Today, which explores the crisis in authority that the Church has experienced beginning with the promulgation of the encyclical letter, Humanae Vitae, soon after the Second Vatican Council. Click the headline image above or HERE to proceed directly to the commentary and presentation. PLEASE NOTE: the foregoing links contain heavy multi-media content and are only really suitable for readers with a broadband connection. We have provided an alternate text only page which can be found HERE.

003 :
18 Dec 2006

"God With Us!" We welcome Dawn Bowie back to the lead commentaries today with this very personal reflection on the meaning of Advent. [more]

007 :
17 Dec 2006

Self-esteem or self-respect? Hugh Mackay's opinion piece in this weekend's Sydney Morning Herald has caused Tom Scott to re-think one of the homilies he's been preaching for a long, long time. What value should we promote more: self-esteem or self-respect? [more]

023 :
16 Dec 2006

Is the Christmas story a myth? This week Ian Elmer explores the mythological dimension of the Christmas story. Why we need myth in our lives. [more]

002 :
15 Dec 2006

We are all called to leadership... In this wonderful commentary, Andrew Kania, explores the meaning of Christian leadership. He explains how a woman, St Margaret of Scotland, serves as one of the great models of Christian leadership. [more]

016 :
14 Dec 2006

It is the time for... Rosemary Canavan argues "it is the time to take a mini retreat in prayer in our daily lives, to assess how we are with God, how our lives are unfolding and how we might move closer to God". [more]

028 :
13 Dec 2006

A commentary on wealth and freedom... Peregrinus was struck by Andrew's piece on "affluenza" on Sunday — the endless pursuit of possessions, driven by the conviction that possessing things is the key to a better life. It led to this response. [more]

040 :
12 Dec 2006

What, precisely, are the core requirements of Catholicism? Tom asks: is it the ability to memorise and recite a list of absolute laws? Or is it the ability to navigate through the absolute laws in order to discern the particular moral truth and course of action? [more]

004 :
11 Dec 2006

The Mixed Blessings III – the outcome in the third generation... You will find this concluding article in Wendy's series "serious precious cargo". This woman has a way of articulating what I know many parents have spoken to me about over the years in a way that almost takes your breath away. There is more reason for hope in this single article than in tomes of papal encyclicals. –Ed [more]

006 :
10 Dec 2006

A tougher seasonal reflection... Christmas in many ways today is the season in which we celebrate our affluence and success. Andrew Kania takes us on a more sobering reflection of The Plague of Affluenza. [more]

022 :
09 Dec 2006

A seasonal reflection... Ian Elmer is taking a break from his series on the early Church he has been pursuing to muse on more seasonal subjects over the next week or two. He expands on some remarks he posed less formally in the discussion forum during the week: What does Christmas mean to you? He describes this as a personal rather than scholarly reflection on the meaning of the feast we are about to celebrate. [more]

015 :
07 Dec 2006

A tribute to a quintessential Aussie Archbishop Rosemary Canavan takes up some scriptural imagery, and also a prayer from Cardinal Newman to pay tribute to a quintessential Aussie Archbishop who has turned 80 this week. [more]

027 :
06 Dec 2006

Some thoughts on the Bishops' Report on Catholics who have stopped going to Mass Peregrinus today applies his incisive mind to the recently released summary report the Australian Bishops put out. He concludes: "If the bishops are concerned to 'stem the flow', there are some important lessons for them here." [more]

009 :
05 Dec 2006

Australian Bishops launch initiative for People with Disabilities... The Australian Catholic Bishops launched a significant initiative in Canberra on Monday to develop a more inclusive attitude towards people with disabilities in the Australian community. We have an exclusive report of the Mass and Launch event with photos and video. [more]

021 :
05 Dec 2006

What can we learn from the disputes in the early Church? This week Ian Elmer is again looking at the differences in understanding between the different factions in the early Church with a view to helping us understand later disputes, such as the fracture with Martin Luther, and contemporary differences. [more]

003 :
04 Dec 2006

The Mixed Blessings II – the next generation... The pleasure so many gained last week with Wendy's exploration of life in a mixed marriage continues this week. It's a bitter-sweet story that makes you want to laugh and cry, celebrate and despair at the same time. [more]

005 :
03 Dec 2006

What God will we serve at Christmas? For this first Sunday of Advent 2006 – the beginning of our preparation for Christmas – our resident "Holy Irritant", Tony Robertson, looks forward to ask what God will we serve when Christmas arrives. "As we wait in hope for the coming of God's Reign of Peace, we are called to challenge the values of our consumer culture by being a sign of the true God with Us, the God we know through the person and message of Jesus." [more]

008 :
02 Dec 2006

The ACBC Report on Catholics who have stopped going to Mass — will it lead to changes that reverse the drift? We applaud the Australian Catholic Bishops for funding this important study. We ask will this study be enough though? Cranking up the volume of the same broken record, appeasing the insecure sectors of the Church, is not going to be enough to reverse the drift and re-evangelise the world. [more]

001 :
01 Dec 2006

Renewal within Catholicism Michael J Bayly argues: "As Benedict XVI breathed the air and walked the ancient streets of Istanbul, my hope is that he was similarly moved and inspired to usher in a "renaissance" within the Catholic Church — a new era marked by creativity, tolerance, and the inclusion of the experiences and insights, hopes and aspirations of all. Just as Mehmed II revitalized Istanbul, may Benedict XVI facilitate a renewal within Catholicism. This "renewal" could be initiated by the Pope's convening of a truly ecumenical council — perhaps in Istanbul!" [more]

014 :
30 Nov 2006

The language of God Rosemary Canavan's reflection today has been triggered by the discussion in our forum on favourite hymns. For Rosemary "music seems to be the language of God and those who can compose it and play it are gifted agents of God". [more]

026 :
29 Nov 2006

Sex and the Wesleyan Quadrilateral It's not as snappy a title as "Sex in the City", is it? "Wesleyan quadrilateral" sounds like something out of a geometry textbook. At any rate, it sounds dull. But bear with Peregrinus in this fascinating commentary on the four ways in which we make sense of our faith. (He gets on to the sex bit at the end.) [more]

002 :
28 Nov 2006

The mixed blessings of a mixed marriage Wendy's delicate piece, Mixed Blessings, opens the door on what happened in her family and the challenges they faced. The reader discovers the mix of joys, triumphs and defeats experienced when, after many generations, the single faith wedding chain, for the first time, was broken. [more]

039 :
27 Nov 2006

A "big picture" view of the communications' crisis II... Tom Scott continues his analysis of the failings of Catholic communications. This time with the assistance of some far stronger voices than his in the form of Sandro Magister and the editor of National Catholic Reporter. [more]

004 :
26 Nov 2006

The Feast of Christ the King... For decades Tom Scott had wonderful memories of the Feast of Christ the King. Following the seed of a few words planted in his mind at the recording of a radio commercial to promote the Feast of Christ the King in the Jubilee Year, he has come to a far more critical view. [more]

020 :
25 Nov 2006

What can we learn from the leadership styles in the early Church? More fascinating as each instalment unfolds, Ian Elmer today takes us on a journey looking at the differing leadership styles of the early leaders. [more]

037 :
24 Nov 2006

Slander is a blighting sirocco! Why do people engage in this behaviour? We republish an article originally published in a book of etiquette in 1890 exploring the nature of slander. [more]

013 :
23 Nov 2006

Where is your true home? Triggered by Ron Rolheiser's commentary this week, "Steadying ourselves in the storm", mentioned on CathNews and an article posted in our forum by Cliff Baxter entitled "Did Jesus ever have to pay rent?", Rosemary Canavan traverses some interesting ground in her commentary today. It's an exploration of where our home is to be truly found. Where is your treasure? Where is your home, your belonging? [more]

025 :
22 Nov 2006

Ten things you never knew about Saint Peter Today Peregrinus explores some scriptural trivia about "the rock" on which Christianity is founded — Saint Peter. The picture that emerges is of "a credible human being, with conflicts and contradictions and growth like the rest of us, instead of an idealised saintly figure". [more]

036 :
21 Nov 2006

A hodge-podge reflection on my own search for spiritual meaning. Partly taking up from Milly's reflection yesterday and a conversation with John Briggs on the forum, Tom is exploring the meaning of all these spiritual concepts we are playing with. He also provides information about a lecture by Sr Joan Chittister that is well worth listening to. [more]

002 :
20 Nov 2006

The art of prayer... The business of asking God for favours seems so simple. What games we play with ourselves, and with God as we bargain and plead. Milly argues we have to learn to let go and trust God to deliver the best response. It's easy to give the advice. Learning how to trust completely can take time. [more]

003 :
19 Nov 2006

What's the apocalyptic vision in today's readings all about... Rosemary Canavan offers some thoughts on what meaning and comfort we can drag out of the apocalyptic readings this Sunday. [more]

019 :
18 Nov 2006

Who was boss in the early Church? In this essay, Ian Elmer examines what historical research is telling us about the structure of the earliest Christian Church and how it changed due to various influences over time. [more]

003 :
17 Nov 2006

Trusting in God... Yes, Vince did supply the avatar, but you can find a real picture with the story — which is about two experiences Vince has had being shipwrecked. It's about the state of helplessness he feels the Church is in today. [more]

011 :
16 Nov 2006

Getting balance in our prayer life Just as we seek balance in our physical, emotional and mental health, Rosemary argues we need balance in our prayer life. Largely drawing on the Gospel of Luke she offers some thoughts at to how we might improve our prayer life. [more]

024 :
15 Nov 2006

The morality of State-sponsored torture II Peregrinus concludes his two-part series investigating the morality of terror. This week his focus is on what he calls "the moral analysis". [more]

035 :
14 Nov 2006

A "big picture" view of the communications' crisis... Following on from some observations NCR commentator John Allen made last Friday, Tom Scott argues the Church has to look at a far bigger picture as to why its communications are failing. [more]

001 :
13 Nov 2006

Under My Nose Philosophy 101... Milly has been a long time contributor to our forum — and many others besides. In her first "Milly on Monday" commentary she explains her Under My Nose philosophy particularly as it applies to the internet. [more]

035 :
13 Nov 2006

What a treasure Michael Leunig is! Michael Leunig has put away his brush and taken up the pen in a column in The Age. Cliff suggests we take seriously what he's suggesting. He nominates Leunig as a new prophet for our time. [more]

002 :
12 Nov 2006

Searching for an authentic understanding of Jesus' vision... Following on from Rosemary's Take last Thursday, further discussion on the discussion forum in the days following, and today's Scriptural readings, Tom Scott seeks to explore what the authentic Catholic vision is by constrasting it to a number of alternatives. These include the "abundance theology" of Evangelical Christianity, the message thrust in things like the film The Secret, and abominations within Catholic belief itself. [more]

018 :
11 Nov 2006

Who were the first Christians? This week, Ian Elmer takes his series of commentaries a step further by asking, "Who were the first Christians?" It may come as some surprise to learn that the first group in the Jesus Movement to bear the name "Christian" were viewed as dissenters and troublemakers within the wider movement. [more]

034 :
10 Nov 2006

Forget the Pope - Saddam must 'swing before he sings'! Cliff casts a very cynical eye on the behaviours of a number of the key groups who've had a lot to say about prosecuting the War on Terror. He asks if they have a motive for wanting Saddam to "swing before he sings"? [more]

010 :
09 Nov 2006

Life's transforming moments Inspired by Margaret Throsby's radio interview with Robert Hughes, Rosemary takes us on a journey today to begin an exploration of the meaning of pain and struggle in our lives. [more]

023 :
08 Nov 2006

The morality of State-sponsored torture I Peregrinus begins a two-part series investigating the morality of terror. This week his focus is on what he calls "real world morality". [more]

034 :
07 Nov 2006

What's missing from the Archbishop's address? The Vatican's head honcho on communications, Ab Foley, is "convinced that communication is THE essential work of a bishop" [his emphasis]. Tom argues His Grace left a couple of things out in his memo. [more]

033 :
06 Nov 2006

Let's provide a bit of feedback! We might not have the resources to do an audit of Catholic communications around the world but Cliff suggests we ought to have a go. Today he provides a start and invites you to provide more. [more]

002 :
05 Nov 2006

The Historical Jesus Then and Now: The Challenge of the Kingdom of God... Last weekend Tom McMahon attended a series of lectures by the renowned scholar John Dominic Crossan at the local Presbyterian Church in his neighbourhood in San Jose. This morning (Sunday Australia time) I received these notes of those lectures and was intrigued enough to go off doing a whole lot further research on the net. In his postscript to the notes you will read this assessment by Tom: "In 12 years of Catholic seminary and 52 years of study as a roman priest I have never before heard such meaningful explanations of the Jesus message". I'm sure others will get value out of Tom's notes as well. Using this as a starting point you'll find a heap of further information available on the net. [more]

017 :
04 Nov 2006

The Resurrection — what really happened? What do we know of the history of the resurrection event itself? What really happened? To whom did Jesus appear? What was the nature of those Christophanies? How was this experience interpreted by the recipients? These are the questions Ian explores today. [more]

033 :
03 Nov 2006

Diarmuid O'Murchu and Amanda McKenna Tom Scott's commentary today firstly points to a fascinating series of interviews Diarmuid O'Murchu has given in recent days to Tom Fox at National Catholic Reporter. Don't miss listening to them. Tom also brings you an exclusive excerpt from Amanda McKenna's new song, One Body in Christ, which is to be launched at a national conference in Canberra in early December for people with disabilities. [more]

009 :
02 Nov 2006

What is the kingdom of God really like? In Scripture, and a lot of other places, many people down through time have tried to come up with metaphors and descriptors of what the kingdom of God is really like. In this thought-provoking reflection Rosemary takes us through some of the imagery, old and new, to show the reality that "God's reign is in our everyday and ordinary life". [more]

022 :
01 Nov 2006

Communion and Dissent... Peregrinus presents a powerful commentary examining how some forms of dissent break the communion of the Church. It can also be read in a very positive light for its observations on what Church communion actually is. [more]