The vision of Jesus and John XXIII… Tom McMahon bases his commentary today around the recent controversy in San Francisco involving Archbishop George Niederauer and the gay activist and charitable group, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. He asks what sort of response would Jesus have made? <more>

Zeitgeist – Parts III & IV… Dr Andrew Kania concludes his compelling four-part commentary on the challenge posed by relationship breakdown by arguing: "Global warming and climate change may be the geographic signs of the times, but far more pervasive and confronting is the way in which we live and act, individual-to-individual, family-to-family. If the Church does not act, and act swiftly, to bring back whole families within Her embrace, She will soon find Herself as a Church solely of the adult convert and the intellectual." <more>

The tension between Religion and Art — Part III… Do you remember the recent controversy over the Blake Prize for Religious Art where Queensland artist, Priscilla Bracks, submitted an image of Jesus that morphed into Osama bin Laden? Or do you remember the even bigger controversy in 1997 when Andres Sorano's provocative work Piss Christ was exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria and George Pell unsuccessfully applied for a Court injunction to try and prevent it being exhibited? We won't give Peregrinus's arguments away but urge you, whatever side you might have been on in these controversies to read the very different perspective that he brings to the consideration of these matters. No one is going to be disappointed with this Catholica commentary. <more>

Zeitgeist – Parts I & II… In this deeply researched and thought about four-part commentary, Dr Andrew Kania takes you through the difficult territory involved in the increasingly common phenomenon of the breakdown in marital and family relationships. The research he uncovers poses difficult challenges for conservative and liberals alike — and for those charged with the responsibility for providing spiritual and moral guidance in contemporary society. Virtually all families are affected today by the pain unleashed by the breakdown in marriages and other relationships. If we do not experience it first hand we are often called to provide comfort to our children, other family members or friends who find themselves caught up when love goes awry. <more>

Can there be a spirituality of democracy? Professor Swidler gives a short introduction to a more detailed section of this series over the coming two weeks where he will examine the principles of Democracy. Today he outlines the principles he will examine in detail in the coming weeks. <more>

Spiritual Discernment… A shorter meditation from Bishop Robinson today but a probing one. He's entitled this chapter "Spiritual Discernment" and basically he's asking what precisely are we called to believe and hand on? We present this series of meditations in cooperation with Bishop Geoffrey Robinson and his publisher, John Garratt Publishing. <Read Bishop Robinson's reflection>