Keywords: Religious Freedom
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RELIGION
- John Warhurst
- 10 April 2025
As Australia approaches a federal election, the bishops have offered a statement of gentle encouragement themed around hope. Yet in its caution and generality, it raises questions about missed opportunities for moral clarity, national relevance, and a more engaged voice in public life.
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RELIGION
- John Warhurst
- 25 March 2025
As Australia approaches another federal election, the Catholic Church, long ambivalent about democratic politics, prepares to weigh in. Its official statement could play it safe, as in years past — or it could offer a deeper moral vision, confronting the global drift toward division with the quiet radicalism of synodality.
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RELIGION
- Jim McDermott
- 13 March 2025
Frank Brennan wears his prominence lightly. A priest, lawyer, and tireless advocate for Indigenous rights and refugees, he is as at home in political corridors as he is at the dinner table, welcoming friends with stories and good cheer. Now, celebrating 50 years as a Jesuit, he reflects on faith, justice, and a life of service.
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RELIGION
- Andrew Hamilton
- 05 March 2025
Lent is often reduced to private acts of restraint. But its history tells a richer story; of communal memory, public reckoning, and the need to confront human suffering. As new crises unfold, from war to political decay, Lent reminds us that forgetting the past is a luxury we cannot afford.
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INTERNATIONAL
- Andrew Hamilton
- 26 February 2025
Amid debates over inclusion, dignity, and the rule of law, how do entrenched power structures shape our futures, and can renewed commitment to cooperation mend a divided society?
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INTERNATIONAL
- Nirmal Ghosh
- 07 February 2025
Amongst hardening borders and rising ethnonationalism globally, those who resist rigid identity labels find themselves caught between worlds — too foreign for home, too foreign for here. If identity is both fluid and contested, can belonging ever be more than a temporary state?
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AUSTRALIA
- Andrew Hamilton
- 23 January 2025
Australia's national day remains a divisive symbol, rooted in colonial history. As the country grapples with issues of war, inequality, and climate change, the call for a more inclusive, meaningful celebration grows. How can a national day honour both the complexity of our history and the dignity of all Australians?
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INTERNATIONAL
- David Halliday
- 13 December 2024
In 2024, a fifth of Americans reported having no close friends, and the number is growing, especially among those without college degrees. So what are the societal structures behind this crisis in loneliness, and how we can rebuild meaningful connections?
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AUSTRALIA
- Andrew Hamilton
- 25 November 2024
4 Comments
Social Inclusion Week invites reflection on our shared humanity amidst deep divides. From childhood cliques to culture wars, the tension between inclusion and exclusion is a paradox rooted in belonging. Can we overcome fear and forge connections across difference, or will anxiety keep us apart? The answer shapes our society’s future.
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AUSTRALIA
- Michael McGirr
- 22 November 2024
3 Comments
There’s this other place that is neither heaven nor earth but which you might find in the car park of the third busiest KFC in Melbourne, waiting for your son to finish his shift. A bin beside the car is overflowing with all the packaging that comes with fast food, not to mention the remains of poor dead chooks whose life it is hard to imagine.
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RELIGION
- Bruce Duncan
- 14 November 2024
14 Comments
The Synod is possibly the most important event in the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council. And despite its focus on internal Church reform and participation, can it effectively address broader social and moral issues in the world while still promoting a more inclusive and accountable Church?
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AUSTRALIA
- Cherie Gilmour
- 18 October 2024
1 Comment
The ideological fissures within modern feminism demand examination. Raising a daughter gives me literal skin in the game, making this a deeply personal journey to understand what has changed and what remains true since the seemingly carefree days of #girlpower.
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