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Section: Religion

There are more than 200 results, only the first 200 are displayed here.

  • RELIGION

    A Church for everyone: In conversation with Phyllis Zagano

    • Michele Frankeni
    • 26 May 2023
    3 Comments

    In a discussion with Michele Frankeni, Catholic scholar Dr Phyllis Zagano explores the question of whether there is a need for increased recognition of women in the Catholic Church, particularly regarding their potential in the diaconate. She investigates both the historical evidence for ordained female deacons and the modern arguments for their re-introduction.

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  • RELIGION

    Behind the bold discussions of the German Synod

    • Susan Sullivan
    • 25 May 2023
    4 Comments

    In the final German Synodal Way assembly, the Church addressed difficult issues, openly discussing obligatory celibacy and blessing same-sex couples and divorced Catholics. The assembly pushed for Church teachings to adapt to individual congregations' realities, but how this approach will affect the global Church is unclear.

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  • RELIGION

    The First Synod: Procedure or reforms?

    • Bill Uren
    • 18 May 2023
    8 Comments

    The Vatican's recent refusal of proposed reforms in preparation for the Synod reflects not only the ongoing tension between the Vatican Curia and the German Church but also a reminder of the forces that aim to keep a tight lid on real synodal reforms.

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  • RELIGION

    'How Christianity can grow again in the West'

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 17 April 2023
    14 Comments

    Greg Sheridan's Easter article in the Weekend Australian argues that a radical, supernatural version of Christian faith may be more persuasive than an accommodating one. However, Christians must show an attractive way of life, balancing high ideals with the reality of failure and forgiveness. 

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  • RELIGION

    Thereafter

    • Bill Uren
    • 13 April 2023
    15 Comments

    In a world where we are constantly faced with life's fragility, it's no wonder that we find ourselves wondering what lies beyond. Is it the bright promise of immortality, or the endless cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth? Or perhaps nothingness? When contemplating the 'thereafter,' what can we hope for?

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  • RELIGION

    From dust to life

    • Simon Smart
    • 04 April 2023
    3 Comments

    In a culture that shies away from ageing and death, the annual ritual of Ash Wednesday is a sobering reminder of our vulnerability and mortality. However, it also invites us to reflect on our failures and fallibility, and to recognize that life is not all about us, but about how we relate to others and contribute to their betterment. 

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  • RELIGION

    The unlikely hope of Easter

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 03 April 2023
    6 Comments

    Easter is a story of unlikely victory, which underlies the hope that inspires Christians to link the Palm Sunday March to the plight of refugees and to walk with them. This hope acknowledges the power of evil in the world which drives people out of their country, yet it refuses to be intimidated by such evil or to allow it to pass unchallenged. 

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  • RELIGION

    The inside low-down on Pope Francis

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 23 March 2023
    10 Comments

    Pope Francis's ten-year papacy continues to surprise and puzzle observers measuring him by liberal and conservative polarities. But to understand his actions and words better, it's important to recognise that his framework is not derived from contemporary culture but from Christian faith. 

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  • RELIGION

    Catholic, female and struggling: Survey reveals women's desire for Church reform

    • David Halliday
    • 17 March 2023
    8 Comments

    Over 17,000 women worldwide have called for Church reform in a newly published survey by Catholic Women Speak Network. Respondents from 104 countries expressed dissatisfaction with a lack of transparency in governance and voiced the need to be seen, heard and valued. 

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  • RELIGION

    When two popes become one

    • Miles Pattenden
    • 28 February 2023
    4 Comments

    Following the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, some believe Pope Francis is now free to advance a progressive agenda, while there’s good reason to doubt Francis will be willing or able to forward any meaningful change beyond that already achieved.

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  • RELIGION

    Cathedrals and caravans

    • John Honner
    • 27 February 2023
    3 Comments

    The word synodality may not be familiar to many, but it's a word that Pope Francis has been emphasising throughout his papacy. It refers to a Church that listens and travels together, with everyone having something to learn from one another. 

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  • RELIGION

    Original synodality: Consultation in the early Church

    • Constant Mews
    • 22 February 2023
    2 Comments

    Words get tired, and need to be reinvented, to recapture their original meaning. Synodality is simply the most recent way of regenerating traditions of consultation that go back to the earliest days of the Church. 

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