It is scandalous that in the formal CDF documents dealing with homosexuality, statements on marriage equality by some bishops, and examples of pastoral practice by some clergy and Catholic institutions, the Catholic Church flagrantly disregards and directly flouts important parts…
Monthly Archives: February 2014
LGBT (Church) History Month: Queer Saints, before "Christianity"
Christianity did not enter the world independently of other religions, or uninfluenced by them. It began as a Jewish sect, and still shares with Judaism a major part of its scriptures and traditions. The Jews in turn were just one…
UN to Vatican: “Child Abuse” Includes Discrimination
Most of the widespread attention to the problems of clerical abuse in and by the Catholic Church have focussed on matters of sexual and direct physical abuse of children. However, there are many more types of abuse, and many victims…
The need for dialogue and listening in LGBT Ministry
In the submission by the LGBT Catholics Westminster Pastoral Council to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (December 2013) as their response to the global consultation on marriage and family, the third point made was . 3. There needs to…
“Redefining Marriage?” (Birmingham Conference, Centre for the Study of Christianity and Sexuality)
The bitter and divisive arguments in the struggles towards marriage equality have highlighted some important issues around the institution of marriage, challenging many common assumptions. For example: The claim by opponents that we cannot redefine marriage are groundless - marriage…
Catholic Bishops Facing Sexual Realities: Now, the Naughty Swiss!
The Catholic sexual rebellion is spreading. In the rebel camp, we have Austria (Cardinal Schonborn reported last week), Germany and now Switzerland. Who’s next? Churchgoers surveyed: Catholics voice pragmatic attitudes about sex. Most Swiss Catholics are in favour of birth control…
German Bishops Agree: Sexual Doctrines Must Change!
Consider the following Catholic views on sex and marriage: Most Catholics disputed the Church ban on artificial means of birth control (only 3% of couples rely on natural family planning) Most Catholics disputed the Church ban on premarital sex (Almost all…
My Faith Journey: Childhood
1950’s, South Africa. I was raised a cradle Catholic, the eldest of seven children, in Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. Both these have impacted my understanding of Catholicism in later years, for my experience of Catholic family on one…
Write the Pope! (Here’s the Address)
Catholic News Service has a report on the high volume of mail Pope Francis receives every week (You definitely got mail! What’s inside the papal postbox?), and the methods employed to deal with it. What I found particularly interesting, came…
“Superpope!”
CNA reports on a drawing of Pope Francis as superhero, that is said to have gone viral. Artist Mauro Pallotta revealed that his viral depiction of Pope Francis as a superhero was done to portray how the pontiff uses his…
