Search Results: Pope Benedict XVI
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RELIGION
- Charles Sherlock
- 20 November 2009
25 Comments
Pope Benedict XVI's recent Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus (‘Groups of Anglicans’) moves the pastoral openness of Vatican II
towards a ‘Rome is right’ mentality. This is disturbing and dangerous,
not only for Anglicans, but for Roman Catholics themselves.
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RELIGION
- Charles Sherlock
- 22 October 2009
2 Comments
If the Apostolic Constitution is phrased in overly-confident 'Romanista' style it will communicate a bureaucratic
message and reinforce the suspicion that 'ecumenical
endeavour' means 'return to Rome', rather than the vision of every
Christian tradition being converted to unity.
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ENVIRONMENT
- Neil Ormerod
- 04 September 2009
20 Comments
Many conservative
Catholics are sceptical about global warming. For them
environmentalism is the new communism. This echoes the paranoia
of the '50s and '60s are clear, when anyone with an interest in social
justice was suspect.
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INTERNATIONAL
- Denis Fitzgerald
- 13 August 2009
A religious purpose is at the heart of Catholic Social Services. Because of this
purpose, organisations need to be able to recruit people who support
the social mission of the Church, and whose conduct will not compromise or undermine the witness of the Church.
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AUSTRALIA
- James Martin
- 07 August 2009
8 Comments
In 1871 Mary MacKillop was excommunicated
by her local bishop on the grounds that 'she had incited the
sisters to disobedience and defiance'. The idea of a holy woman who had been at loggerheads with the
hierarchy is not new in the annals of the
saints.
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RELIGION
The Pope's social encyclical comes at a time when Australian churches increasingly have to provide charity to those who have been
failed by the state. For charity to constitute true giving, social organisations must also be prepared to commit politically.
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AUSTRALIA
- Michael Mullins
- 13 July 2009
10 Comments
Assumptions that detained businessman Stern Hu could not be guilty because he is Australian show how national pride can cloud perceptions. Something similar was at play in calls for Kevin Rudd to lobby the Pope for the canonisation of Mary MacKillop.
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RELIGION
- Neil Ordmerod
- 10 July 2009
2 Comments
This week's release of the new social encyclical Caritas in Veritate expands moral teaching to promote a concept of 'human ecology' that covers both human life and the environment. It would seem that Benedict is not a climate change sceptic.
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RELIGION
- Bruce Duncan
- 10 July 2009
4 Comments
The Pope's encyclical on social teaching is not a strident critique of
capitalism, but it does confront
abuses in the global economy. Benedict is critical of the free market ideology which extolled wealth
creation but ignored the need for equity and social justice.
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RELIGION
- Michael Czerny
- 05 May 2009
2 Comments
Abstinence and fidelity win little public support in Western discourse, but are increasingly included, even favoured, in national AIDS strategies in Africa. Culture counts, and a condom is more than a piece of latex.
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RELIGION
- Frank Brennan
- 27 February 2009
3 Comments
Professor Martha Nussbaum's recent book Liberty of Conscience provides a rich textured treatment of the place of religion in the public square. If God is taken out of the picture,
it may be difficult to maintain a human rights commitment to the
weakest and most despised in society.
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RELIGION
- Frank Brennan
- 24 February 2009
In East Timor, I was able to see close up the work of
Caritas in war torn conditions. There could be no reconciliation without
justice. Caritas worked tirelessly to proclaim the message.
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