Divorce I: what did Jesus have to say on the subject? Over the next four Fridays we're re-publishing this series on divorce written by Peregrinus. The following excerpt from today's email helps put this in context: "Catholica is different to other internet initiatives. We are not some newspaper 'dressed up' and presented in a new format 'online'. We are not trying to build some massive subscription base as most internet initiatives are seeking to do. What we're trying to do is 'build a cyber community'. The personal experiences of many of us who came together to get this initiative off the ground is that very often the times when people are most receptive to thinking about spiritual issues is when they come across some time of crisis in their lives. Obviously times of divorce and relationship breakdown are one of the major times when people might be searching the internet seeking assistance. At Catholica we are not trying to build up some 'vast repository of official Church documents'. What we want to build up is a repository of basically 'ordinary, moderately intelligent people' talking in ordinary language about how they have handled these times of challenge in their lives. So, the principal reason why we are re-running Peregrinus' commentary on Divorce at this time is in an endeavour to try and ignite further discussion in our forum which, perhaps even many years down the track, some 'lost soul' might come across doing a 'Google search' and which provides them with 'just the answer I need'." <more>.

Was Jesus married? Our lead commentary today is the fifth contribution by Daniel Gullotta, a young theology student at ACU National in Brisbane. Today Daniel examines the evidence on the recent controversies in the secular media pertaining to whether Jesus was married. This is a powerful essay from such a young writer. I think we might be witnessing here the emergence of a powerful communicator. Congratulations Daniel. I should also point out that Daniel is also responsible for choosing most of the graphics that accompany his essays. <more>

Further info from the Census… Peregrinus has been doing some further research into the recently released Census figures. In his commentary today he shares a few further conclusions that might be drawn and also outlines some places where we need to be cautious in what we read into the figures. <more>

The End Game… In this essay, which he entitles "The End Game", Andrew Kania is exploring both the issue of consequence that flows from each action in our lives, and also the wider and more contentious issue that has caused plenty of invigorating discussion in our forum in the past – the final accountability of our actions, and life. <more>

What is required for evangelisation or re-evangelisaion? The announcement in the news today of the initiative by the Australian bishops to take the re-evangelisation effort a bit more seriously provides an opportunity to take the discussion a little deeper. Do you believe it is possible to re-vangelise the Church simply by "pumping up the volume" on the agenda that has been offered by the Church for the past forty or fifty years? <more>

Our behaviour does matter! Catholica Australia largely came into existence because of the difficulties in conducting conversations in other places on the internet. In this commentary, Milly, shares some thoughts on internet etiquette and responsibility… <more>