Good News: Vatican does not ban Liberation Theologian There's genuinely good news carried in the headlines this morning that the Spanish Jesuit and Liberation Theologian, Fr Jon Sobrino, has not been banned or barred by the Vatican from teaching. [more]

What's the real focus of this story? The Parable of the Prodigal Son is perhaps one of the more familiar of the stories Jesus told in the New Testament. Pereginus argues it is probably over-familiar to the point where we lose sight of the key message Jesus is endeavouring to get across. In this analysis he sets the story in the wider context of what surrounds it in order to focus on what is essentially important. [more]

Finding the moral balance between the letter and the spirit of the law... In a wonderfully balanced commentary, Andrew Kania today explores the tension involved in discerning between the spirit of the law and the letter of the law. It is a timely commentary given the division evident so often today between those, often drawn from conservative religious sectors, with an overbearing emphasis on literalism and the letter of the law and the libertarian tendencies in some sectors of society which seem to imply that "the spirit of the law" is somehow synonimous with following whatever feeling comes into one's head at a particular time. Dr Kania argues that Jesus Christ puts forward a middle and balanced way between these two extremes where the spirit is dependent on the letter, and vice verse. His commentary is not to be missed. [more]

Using the internet to broadcast some "good news"... Chief cheerleader, soulmate, business partner and soon-to-be bride to the Editor of Catholica, Milly (Amanda McKenna), in recent days has been reading The Google Story by David A. Vise. Quite part from finding her future partner across the width of a continent through a Catholic discussion board on the internet, Milly is excited about the possibilities of the web for building community and broadcasting the “Good News”. In a two-part commentary she shares some thoughts on the possibilities the web offers. [more]

Don't look back... Both in the lead commentaries and in the forum in recent day we've had much discussion on today's Gospel reading about the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree. In his commentary today, Alan takes a different tack and concentrates on the Epistle and its message. [more]