Opus Dei is a sect. Its spirituality doesn’t free the spirit, but enslaves it. Last Monday’s Four Corners exposé on Sydney’s Opus Dei (OD) schools was disappointing. The programme lacked a broader context. Sure, we learned that according to some ex-students and parents the schools weren’t woke, and that some teachers touted particularly silly assertions Continue reading »
Religion and Faith
But truth can set them free. George Pell’s funeral presents a problem for Australia’s Catholic bishops. They will be comfortable gathering to give their colleague his rightful requiem and final dismissal, according to the rights of the church. They will know, however, that as the Catholic community looks on it will be preoccupied by one Continue reading »
The actions of Israeli Defence Force troops last Wednesday — entering the Jenin refugee camp and killing nine Palestinians — seemed inexplicable from the brief reports I heard on the ABC and SBS. The major Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported: “Three and a half months ago … a terrorist from the Shoafat refugee camp named Uday Continue reading »
To assist the healing of our history, it is essential that Australia Day be some other day than 26 January. Late last year multi faith leaders in Victoria held a dinner which focused on how we can better support the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Yoorrook Justice Commission. The clear consensus unifying us Continue reading »
As some gather to honour the passing of Cardinal George Pell, I lament what the Church has become under clerics like him. When I was a priest (1975-1980), the Church had a credible voice, and priests were respected as pastoral leaders. With some hope for the future, my feelings lately are of sadness. The recent Continue reading »
An extremist Israeli government insists that apartheid policies will be permanent, that the 2022 slaughter of Palestinians will be repeated, that settler stealing and violence will be ignored and international law derided. In these circumstances, surely no Australian citizen, let alone a politician, could justify such policies? Incredulity about Israeli army, police and settler impunity Continue reading »
Cardinal George Pell’s vision of a church beyond criticism, its edicts to be slavishly followed, and governed almost exclusively by elderly men sits very uncomfortably with Christ’s proclamation of the Kingdom of God and our contemporary world. The death of Cardinal George Pell has dominated the news cycle over several days. Understandably the focus has Continue reading »
We’ve all had far too much George Pell lately, but his so-called “Memorandum” on Pope Francis’ papacy is about much more than the present papacy and needs to be confronted. There’s no doubt Pell is the author of the unprecedented diatribe which describes the Francis papacy as “a disaster” and “catastrophe”. He sent the Memorandum Continue reading »
Perceptions aren’t everything but they can be very powerful. On the face of it, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) appointment of an oil company chief as the next President for the UNCOP28 is not a good look. That’s putting it mildly! There has, in fact, been much colourful criticism. “This appointment goes beyond putting the Continue reading »
George Pell was, by temperament and personality, about the worst possible choice to be made a bishop, then an archbishop, and ultimately a cardinal — one of the inner circle of the church entrusted with central church administration and the selection of new Popes. He was the wrong man for the times – if ever Continue reading »