BBC Documentary: Fr Brian D'Arcy – The Turbulent Priest In this 60 minute documentary from BBC Northern Ireland screened just a few days ago, Fr Brian D'Arcy, the Irish priest who has attracted world-wide attention in recent months for being censured by the Vatican, canvases many of the issues that we find in regular discussion on Catholica. The YouTube precise read: "Author and broadcaster Father Brian D'Arcy was censured by the Vatican after challenging some of the Catholic Church's core teachings. In this frank and personal documentary, filmmaker Natalie Maynes follows him on a journey across Europe as he confronts the biggest dilemma of his life - can he continue as a priest?" 59m21s [Discussion of this video on the Catholica Forum 01Nov12]

Fr Tom Doyle on the Crisis in the Church In this 47 minute interview on thelip.tv Fr Tom Doyle was questioned by Allison Hope Weiner. Fr Doyle shares details of the sex-abuse epidemic. Having reached extraordinary heights in the Catholic Church and served in the Vatican embassy with the sexual abuse epidemic, he turned away from the religious order in response to the spiraling and far-reaching cover-up. Privy to some of the most sensitive dealings of the church, Fr Doyle provides us with a very rare perspective on the abuse, response and cultural framework that allowed it to happen and continues to minimize the impact on the victims. Fr Doyle names names as to who he feels are directly responsible, and shares with us how the sordid affair has changed his own spiritual relationship to the church. 46m11s [TheLip.tv website] | [Discussion of this video on the Catholica Forum 03Aug12]

Welcome to Catholica! The founders of Catholica, Brian Coyne & Amanda McKenna, share perspectives on what Catholica is, how it started, and what it is trying to achieve. 10m07s [Permanent Location of this Video on the "About Us" page. 06Jul12]

The 6 killer apps of prosperity... Over the past few centuries, Western cultures have been very good at creating general prosperity for themselves. Historian Niall Ferguson asks: Why the West, and less so the rest? He suggests half a dozen big ideas from Western culture — call them the 6 killer apps — that promote wealth, stability and innovation. And in this new century, he says, these apps are all shareable. History is a curious thing, and Niall Ferguson investigates not only what happened but why. 20m20s [String on the Catholica Forum where the general issue of wealth inequality and this documentary was first discussed 20May12]

The real Divine Miracle... Alexander Tsiaras in this TED Talk presents a stunning video on human life from conception to birth using the newest x-ray scanning technology that won its two inventors the Nobel Peace Prize. Why do people work themselves up over weeping statues when they themselves are "the miracle"? 9m38s [String on the Catholica Forum where this video was first discussed 28Apr12]

A History of God Based on Karen Armstrong's acclaimed book, this feature-length film guides viewers along one of humanity's most elusive quests. For over 4,000 years, adherents of the world's monotheistic faiths have wrestled with the question of God. This extraordinary, feature-length film traces that elusive and fascinating quest. A History of God examines the familiar images of deity as presented in the Bible and Koran and traces the evolution and interrelation of the various Christian, Jewish, and Islamic interpretations of the divine figure. Through balanced analysis of historic and holy texts and extensive use of ancient art and artifacts, we'll follow the long road to today's understanding of God and what the journey—and the destination—have to tell us about humanity and its never-ending search for meaning and comfort. From the time of Abraham to the present, this is a thought-provoking look at the God at the heart of the world's three great monotheistic religions. 1h33m30s

Dorothy Day & the Catholic Worker Dorothy Day: journalist, Catholic activist, non-violent anarchist, Wobblie, succor to the poor of inner cities across America. Day willingly lived the fertile ground of voluntary poverty as a site of Love—the love she held for her God as well as the love (caritas) she expressed for her fellow man. For Day, if you would that a revolution occur in the world—a revolution of equity of every kind, brotherhood, and freedom for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—then start that revolution in your own heart and soul. Be the hero of your own life, and you will be a hero—a source of love in the world—to others. To effect that freedom and change, Day would not be seduced by the world. In this way, she had freed herself up to effect the change she wanted to see occur—for both herself and the collective drawn to her. In this program she is interviewed by Hubert Jessup. 30m00s Interview transcripts: [dorothydaytranscripts.wordpress.com]

The Magdalene Sisters Three young Irish women struggle to maintain their spirits while they endure dehumanizing abuse as inmates of a Magdalene Sisters Orphanage. 2h01m03s [String on the Catholica Forum where this documentary was first discussed 03Mar12]

How economic inequality harms societies... We feel instinctively that societies with huge income gaps are somehow going wrong. Richard Wilkinson charts the hard data on economic inequality, and shows what gets worse when rich and poor are too far apart: real effects on health, lifespan, even such basic values as trust. Richard Wilkinson, is Professor Emeritus of Social Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, and cofounder of The Equality Trust, a nonprofit that aims to reduce income inequality by educating and engaging the public while supporting political commitment to address the problem. 16m55s [String on the Catholica Forum where the general issue of wealth inequality and this documentary was first discussed 25Jan12]

The Corporation written by Joel Bakan, and directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott The Corporation is a 2003 Canadian documentary film written by Joel Bakan, and directed by Mark Achbar and Jennifer Abbott. The documentary is critical of the modern-day corporation, considering its legal status as a class of person and evaluating its behaviour towards society and the world at large as a psychiatrist might evaluate an ordinary person. This is explored through specific examples. The Corporation has been shown worldwide, on television, and via DVD, file sharing, and free download. Bakan wrote the book, The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, during the filming of the documentary. 2h24m04s [String on the Catholica Forum where this documentary was first discussed 06Jan12]

An Ultimate Explanation by Paul Davies Philosopher and physicist Paul Davies gives a fascinating and thought-provoking talk on the possibility of an ultimate explanation for our universe. Dismissing the multiverse and God, he outlines an idea for finding an explanation for the universe and physical laws within the universe itself. A talk given at the Salk Institute. 44m53s [Fr Peter Dresser's commentary discussing the ideas of Paul Davies 03Dec11]

How Many People Can Live On Planet Earth? Naturalist Sir David Attenborough investigates whether the world is heading for a population crisis. In his lengthy career, he has watched the human population more than double from 2.5 billion in 1950 to nearly seven billion. Sir David reflects on the profound effects of this rapid growth, both on humans and the environment. He also examines whether it is the duty of individuals to commit not only to smaller families, but to change the way they live for the sake of humanity and planet Earth. (From the UK) (Documentary) 58m15s [Catholica Forum entry where this series was discussed 15Nov11]

Unrepentant: Kevin Annett and Canada's Genocide of Native People This documentary reveals Canada's darkest secret — the deliberate extermination of indigenous (Native American) peoples and the theft of their land under the guise of religion. This never before told history as seen through the eyes of this former Uniting Church Minister, Kevin Annett, who blew the whistle on his own church, after he learned of thousands of murders in its Indian Residential Schools. Winner: Best International Documentary at the 2006 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. Winner: Best Director for an International Documentary at the 2006 New York International Film Festival. Only recently uploaded to YouTube the film is also available on Google Video where it has had over 178,000 views. 108m56s [Catholica Forum entry where this series was discussed 06Aug11]

The Story of Science (BBC Series) Six part BBC series presented by Michael Mosley on the story of science which also provides valuable insights into religious and spiritual questions. The Episode titles are: 1: What is Out There?; 2: What is the World Made Of?; 3: How Did We Get Here?; 4: Can We Have Unlimited Power?; 5: What Is The Secret Of Life?; 6: Who Are We?. Each Episode 1hr Approx [Catholica Forum entry where this series was discussed 18May11]

Brian Cox on CERN's supercollider "Rock-star physicist" Brian Cox talks about his work on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Discussing the biggest of big science in an engaging, accessible way, Cox brings us along on a tour of the massive project. Physicist Brian Cox has two jobs: working with the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, and explaining big science to the general public. He's a professor at the University of Manchester. 14m56s [Catholica Forum entry by Brian Coyne which first drew this series to our attention 27Apr11]

The Wonders of the Universe (BBC Series) Having explored the wonders of the solar system, Professor Brian Cox steps boldly on to an even bigger stage – the universe.
Who are we? Where do we come from? For thousands of years humanity has turned to religion and myth for answers to these enduring questions. But in this series, Brian presents a different set of answers - answers provided by science.
In this episode, Brian seeks to understand the nature of time and its role in creating both the universe and ourselves. From an extraordinary calendar built into the landscape of Peru to the beaches of Costa Rica, Brian explores the cycles of time which define our experience of life on earth. But even the most epic cycles of life can't begin to compare to the vast expanse of cosmic time.
For instance, just as the earth orbits the sun, the solar system orbits the entire Milky Way galaxy. This orbit takes a staggering 250 million years to complete.
Ultimately, Brian discovers that time is not characterised by repetition but by irreversible change. From the relentless march of a glacier to the decay of an old mining town, the ravaging effects of time are all around us. The vast universe is subject to these same laws of change. As we look out to the cosmos, we can see the story of its evolution unfold, from the death of the first stars to the birth of the youngest. This journey from birth to death will ultimately lead to the destruction, not just of our planet, but also the entire universe, and with it the end of time itself.
Yet without this inevitable destruction, the universe would be without what is perhaps the greatest wonder of all; the brief moment in time in which life can exist. First broadcast BBC HD, 9:00PM Sun, 6 Mar 2011. 59m09s [Catholica Forum entry by Desi which first drew this series to our attention 22Apr11]

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward [2011] by director Peter Joseph is a 162 minute film work which continues what the prior two films of the Zeitgeist Film Series started: a critical look at the Zeitgeist or Spirit /Awareness of the Time. A prominent underlying thesis of the Film Series is that a great many notions, beliefs and practices currently engaged in today and assumed as 'presupposed', 'given' or seemingly empirical to our societal approaches and values are not only intellectually/historically incorrect but highly detrimental to our personal and social progress and sustainability. 2h41m25s [Catholica Editorial 20Feb11] | [Wikipedia Page on Zeitgeist]

Zeitgeist: Addendum [2008] was the follow up to Zeitgeist: The Movie. It focuses further on the monetary system and advocates a resource-based social system influenced by the ideas of Jacque Fresco and The Venus Project. 2h03m07s [Catholica Editorial 20Feb11] | [Wikipedia Page on Zeitgeist]

Zeitgeist: The Movie [2007] The history of Zeitgeist: The Movie is not what many assume. The original Zeitgeist was actually not a 'film', but a performance piece, which consisted of a vaudevillian style multi-media event using recorded music, live instruments and video. The event was given over a 6-night period in New York City and then, without any interest to professionally release or produce the work, was 'tossed'" up on the Internet arbitrarily. The work was never designed as a film or even a documentary in a traditional sense — it was designed as a creative, provoking, emotionally driven expression, full of artistic extremity and heavily stylized gestures. However, once online, an unexpected flood of interest began to generate. Within 6 months over 50 Million views were recorded on Google Video counters (before they were reset for some reason). The current combined estimates put the number of Internet views at over 100 million as of 2009. Suddenly Zeitgeist the event, became Zeitgeist: The Movie. 2h00m27s [Catholica Editorial 20Feb11] | [Wikipedia Page on Zeitgeist]

Parenting for a Peaceful World A powerful video Stephen brought to our attention on Catholica last year. Robin Grille, author of Parenting for a Peaceful World, and also Heart to Heart Parenting shares some profound information about children and parenting practices around the world and throughout history. Learn more about Robin at www.our-emotional-health.com Narrated by Aja Swafford, created by Jacob Devaney for www.culturecollective.org, and written by Robin Grille. 7m48s [See this post by Stephen on Catholica where this video was discussed in more detail 24Sep10]

Would You Believe on the Nuncio's Letter to the Irish Bishops RTE reporter Mick Peelo looks at some internal Vatican letters that appear to paint a picture of Vatican obstructionism towards investigations into clerical sexual abuse. This program has led to extensive discussion around the world, and on Catholica, in the context of the letter from the Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland, +Luciano Storero being some kind of 'smoking gun' that links the Vatican to the cover-up of clergy sexual abuse. 42m56s [Initial Catholica Discussion String on this Video 19Jan11] | [More Extensive Catholica Discussion String on this Video 23Jan11]

Religion — The Bad Parent Theramin Trees presents an atheist's perspective on what's gone wrong with religion that many believers who are disenchanted with institutional religion might agree with. 12m55s [Catholica Discussion String on this Video 19Dec10]

Song for a Raggy Boy Based on a true story. A Spanish Civil War veteran (William Franklin) arrives at a Catholic Boys Reformatory School in Ireland in 1939. A disturbing story exploring Catholic culture, the abuse in orphanages and reform schools, love and the human spirit. (Based on a memoir by Patrick Galvin). 10 segments total running time 93m40s [Catholica Discussion String on this Film 19Dec10]

Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity The author of Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert has thought long and hard about some large topics. Her next fascination: genius, and how we ruin it. Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses — and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk. 19m32s [Catholica Discussion String 03Oct10]

Visions of the Future Breathtaking and confronting BBC Channel 4 series with American theoretical physicist Michio Kaku examining life in the future. The series raises big ethical and moral questions that collectively humankind needs to face and answer. Some of these questions are perhaps more morally difficult than anything we have faced in the past. A "must view" series for anyone interested in the discussions on morality and ethics discussed on the Catholica Forum. Part 1: The Intelligence Revolution 58m34s. Part 2: The Biotech Revolution 58m41s. Part 3: The Quantum Revolution. 18 YouTube segments total 175m54s total. [Catholica Discussion String 26Aug10]

The Doomsday Code Tony Robinson travels to America, the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Africa to gather evidence that might uncover the realities behind the prophecies contained within the Book of Revelation. He interviews people who believe millions will be spirited up to Heaven, Israel will fight a nuclear war, that the Secretary General of the UN will be unmasked as the Anti-Christ and the world will end after the Battle of Armageddon. 10 parts 99m54s total. [Catholica Discussion String 30 May10]

The Plastic Bag Billy introduced this short film to us on the Catholica Forum back in March 2010. Here's the synopsis: "This short film by American director Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo) traces the epic, existential journey of a plastic bag (voiced by Werner Herzog) searching for its lost maker, the woman who took it home from the store and eventually discarded it. Along the way, it encounters strange creatures, experiences love in the sky, grieves the loss of its beloved maker, and tries to grasp its purpose in the world. In the end, the wayward plastic bag wafts its way to the ocean, into the tides, and out into the Pacific Ocean trash vortex — a promised nirvana where it will settle among its own kind and gradually let the memories of its maker slip away.". 18m33s. [Catholica Discussion String 23Mar10] | [Washington Post Review 23Apr10]

Interview with Cardinal Levada This interview which the President of the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith, William Cardinal Levada gave to Fr Rosica, CEO of Salt + Light Television, Canada, is interesting in terms of putting a face to the name of one of the most powerful men in the Vatican and provides some insight into the work of the CDF. 27m27s. [Salt & Light Television]

The Invention of the Jewish People An interesting discussion emerged on Catholica based on some of the ideas presented in this video concerning the history of the Jewish people, the forebears to the Christian people. Quite apart from the central focus of the discussion — the contemporary conflict between the Palestinians and Israelies — the discussion raises fascinating questions regarding the truth and mythological qualities of our Christian history. 78m45s. [Post by Herbie where this video was introduced to the Catholica conversation 27 Jan 2010]

The Light of the East: Understanding the Eastern Catholic Churches UNFORTUNATELY THIS VIDEO IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE ONLINE Who are the Eastern Catholics and why did Pope John Paul II say that the Church's catholicity is preserved and grows in the life of the East as in the West? Mary Rose Bacani visits St. Elias Ukrainian Catholic Church in Brampton, Ontario, and St. Josaphat's Cathedral and St. George Church in Edmonton, Alberta, to find out more about the identity of the Eastern Catholic Churches. She also speaks with iconographer Kateryna Chalyk about the significance of icons. From Salt & Light Television, Canada. 24m21s. [Salt & Light Television]

A Tribute to Thomas Berry (1914-2009) A short series of excerpts of eco-theologian, Passionist priest, Fr Thomas Berry, (9 Nov 1914-1 Jun 2009) recorded by Caroline Webb in February 2006. Posted on YouTube 01 Jun 2009 as a tribute to Fr Berry at the time of his death. 7m05s. [Wikipedia entry on Fr Berry] | [ABC Radio documentary on Fr Berry by Noel Debien]

The Children's Crusade UNFORTUNATELY THIS VIDEO IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE ON YOU TUBE Documentary entitled "The Long March to Jerusalem" documenting the history of the Children's Crusade. Posted on YoutTube 22 Jan 2009. 49m43s Total. [Commentary by Robert Blair Kaiser where The Children's Crusade was discussed on Catholica 16Dec09]

Interview—Hans Küng: Catholicism heading back to Middle-Ages A small town in southern Germany was the scene of a meeting of minds between two members of the Catholic church in the 1960s. Theologian Hans Küng invited his colleague Josef Ratzinger to Tübingen to teach at the university's Catholic faculty. Shocked by the student revolt of 1968 Ratzinger became increasingly conservative. He also became Pope Benedict XVI four decades later. His boss at the time, Hans Küng, went on to be described as the "super-star of European theology" becoming an arch-critic of church hierarchy, calling for an end to celibacy, and the acceptance of contraception. Küng and Ratzinger both took part in the second Vatican council, the biggest shake-up of the Catholic church of the 20th century, marking an overture to the modern world, and dialogue with other religions and convictions. But what does Küng think of the controversy stirred up recently by his former employee? Posted on YouTube 15 April 2009. 8m00s.

Abuse of Trust TV3 Documentary about Catholic Clerical Child Abuse in Ireland. This documentary focuses on the Dublin Diocese and has interviews from survivors who describe their horrendous experiences of sexual abuse as children, Andrew Madden and Marie Collins. This also interviews the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin. 5 videos total: 47m45s [String on the Catholica Forum where this was first shown and discussed 01Dec09]

150th Anniversary video for Catholic Education in Western Australia The video was produced for a national Catholic Education Leadership Conference held in Perth in 1998. A nostalgic trip through the photographic archive of how Catholic Education developed in this part of the world. 5m 59s. [Commentary by Dr Graham English where this video was first shown on Catholica 04Sep09]

Advertisement from WiseUp re the damage caused by child abuse This is the advertisement being run on television in Australia at the moment to draw attention to the damage done by child sexual abuse. It features Anthony and Christine Foster who were at the centre of media attention at the time of World Youth Day. 60s. [Visit the www.wiseup.net.au website!]

A conversation with Niall Ferguson, author of The Ascent of Money A fascinating 56 minute video interview with Professor Niall Ferguson author of the book and television series, The Ascent of Money. Drawing on insights from the biological sciences, Ferguson describes the rise and evolution of finance focusing on insurance, banks, and the bond market. Using the examples of housing and the U.S. China economic relationship, Ferguson demonstrates the way history can inform our understanding of the current financial crisis. He also reflects on the implications of the financial crisis for American global hegemony. This is part of the Conversations with History series from The University of California Television Channel on YouTube. The host for the series is Harry Kreisler. Originally webcast 11/12/2008. 56m 09s. [Post in the forum where this was discussed 04Jul09]

Karen Armstrong on Islam Interview on WAMU in Washington with Karen Armstrong on her book Islam – A Short History. In three parts Karen gives an overview of the history her book explores in more detail. In this segment she explains some of her own background as a nun, becoming disillusioned with religion and then becoming deeply interested again. Karen is interviewed by Susan Paige of USA Today. 10m 04s. [Uploaded to Catholica 02Jul09]

Karen Armstrong on Islam Interview on WAMU in Washington with Karen Armstrong on her book Islam – A Short History. In three parts Karen gives an overview of the history her book explores in more detail. In this segment she responds to the question: what do you think is the fundamental message of the Koran? She also addresses Islamic fundamentalism. Karen is interviewed by Susan Paige of USA Today. 10m 04s. [Uploaded to Catholica 02Jul09]

Karen Armstrong on Islam Interview on WAMU in Washington with Karen Armstrong on her book Islam – A Short History. In three parts Karen gives an overview of the history her book explores in more detail. There are many positive comments from Moslems on YouTube in response to what she said in this interview. Karen is interviewed by Susan Paige of USA Today. 10m 04s. [Uploaded to Catholica 02Jul09] | [See Documentary Index for Parts 2 and 3]

Shalom House of Prayer, Carcoar NSW Mini-documentary on Shalom House of Prayer at Carcoar, NSW, and introduction to audio interview with recently retired leader of the lay community there, Ted Mason. 4m 19s. The audio interview can be heard at: [The extended audio interview 16Feb09]

Absolute Truth A segment from the BBC program Absolute Truth by Edward Stourton which spells out the contemporary challenges facing the Catholic Church. 17m 25s [Commentary by Brian Coyne (aka Tom Scott) referring to this 19Dec06]

The Meaning of Jesus Christ Today Barry Hickey, Catholic Archbishop of Perth, explores the relevance of Jesus Christ in contemporary life in this video made for the Great Jubilee of Christianity, 2000. Video written and produced by Brian Coyne. 9m 58s [Uploaded to Catholica 30June07]