There will always be a priesthood… By his own admission, it's a bit of a pot-pourri from Tom McMahon today but it's a pretty rich one. This guy knows how to cook up a good stew — or a decent loaf of bread to share with his friends. <more>

Looking at the Jesus Seminar… For those new to Catholica, Daniel Gullotta, is our resident theological student who shares with us some essays from his studies. In this essay he critiques The Jesus Seminar… <more>

Analysing the Petition… Peregrinus applies his mind — and ours — to looking at a variety of ways in which the Petition to the Australian Bishops can be analysed. He concludes: "You can bet your bottom dollar that if a politician received a petition with 10,000 signatures, they would take that very, very seriously as an indicator of a major concern about which people felt strongly, and which needed to be addressed". <more>

Book Review: Cardinal Mahony – A Novel… Brian Coyne reviews the new book by the esteemed American Catholic journalist and writer, Robert Blair Kaiser. Coyne sees it as "a sort of cross between a Morris West novel — with its superb understanding of Catholic Church culture and politics — and a Tom Clancy action thriller". <more>

A response and defence of Bishop Manning's comment regarding the petition and a suggestion about a new book the bishops might buy one another for Christmas..… This editorial looks at Bishop Manning's recent intervention regarding the petition to the Australian Bishops. It ends with a suggestion of a new book the bishops might buy one another for their Christmas stockings: Robert Blair Kaiser's racy new novel entitled "Cardinal Mahony — the novel". <more>

Being a better person… Dr Kania takes a look at this drive within us to become better individuals. The trouble is we have to constantly counter the tendency to sloth and laziness that also seems an intrinsic part of our nature. <more>

Breaking apart the principles of democracy… Today Professor Swidler begins his examination in detail of the eight basic principles of democracy that undergird his arguments. Is democracy in the governance of the Church an idea that's been there since the very beginning of the Church? Is it not an issue to do with justice? Would it not help protect against the recent abuse of power we have witnessed via the Sexual Abuse Scandal cover-up by ecclesial leaders? <more>

Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus IV… What are God's true desires for his Church? That is the question that sits at the heart of Chapter Four of Bishop Robinson's book. He suggests: "It is persons, not religions, that God loves. God is happy when persons of any or no religion do things that help others, saddened when they do things that harm others, and loves all of them always, whatever they do." We present this series of meditations in cooperation with Bishop Geoffrey Robinson and his publisher, John Garratt Publishing.<Read Bishop Robinson's reflection>