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A hiding can be good for kids
I was enormously surprised to see the results of a poll a few weeks ago showing that a massive majority of the almost 20000 South Africans who took part in a survey on corporal punishment in school, actually felt it should be re-introduced.
Ready for the final exam?
Have you ever watched teachers and learners preparing for the matriculation examination, or any General School Certificate examination? Let me tell you, it’s a serious business!
Pray for our youth
From Gillian Tweehuysen, Benoni
Our young people will soon be attending World Youth Day with Pope Benedict in Madrid, Spain. I would like to suggest that a prayer for them could be said at all Masses prior to their pilgrimage and while they are away, as a means of solidarity and support to them, for they are the Church of tomorrow.
Part 14: The pilgrim as a tourist
The arbitrariness of air travel itineraries sometimes produce the happy circumstance of allowing travellers to visit places they otherwise would not see. Our group of 45 Southern Cross pilgrims left Tel Aviv to fly to Munich via Cairo, necessitating one night in transit, spent in an entirely agreeable hotel in which I observed that the Egyptian engagement party tends to be at least as elaborate as the typical Western wedding. Read more…
25 May – 31 May, 2011
Headlines
» New guidelines on handling abuse
» Let’s ♥ our priests
» Bright start for Hope&Joy
» Breaking the alcohol abuse cycle
» Why being green is to worship God
This Week’s Editorial
Abuse – Church is serious
Abuse: Church is serious
The Vatican’s new instructions to the world’s bishops’ conferences must be welcomed as another concrete signal that the Church is serious about addressing the incidence of clerical sexual abuse, in terms of prevention and of action when allegations are made.
Our homemade mass ended on a violent note
Something for which I will forever be indebted to my long-suffering parents was their ability to keep completely straight faces when, at the tender age of eight, I decided to turn our regular half-hour evening rosary into a full blown “high Mass” in the style of the Vatican at its pomp and ceremonious best.
From one hot cross bun to another
I have just washed nine mugs—in the dishwasher—plus a sundry collection of plates, glasses and the odd dish, all built up over a few days of living lazily alone.
Is God leading us into temptation?
The words “and lead us not into temptation” in the Our Father bother me. It is inconceivable that God would lead one into temptation. If this is explained as a mistranslation of perhaps “save us from being led into temptation”, it raises the question of how many other mistranslations there are in the Bible.
Jimmy Carter
Fear Not
In this Easter season, when the Scripture texts tell us of how frightened the disciples were behind locked doors, the Risen Christ comes to reassure them “to fear not”.
So I have been reflecting on some of the manifestations of fear in the church. In April, St Joseph’s Theological Institute where I teach hosted Adam Walton from the UK who was doing research on gender at the Institute. In his feedback at a public lecture he remarked how much fear he had heard from students (maybe staff?) about gender issues. The very word “gender” is so emotive that students react with fear and anger.
At our Gender Committee meeting this week, we discussed some of the reasons for such fear. One student said that it is because some students equate “gender” with the ordination of women. Now, why would these young men be so afraid of the issue of women’s ordination? They will be ordained, while women continue to wait. And given the priest shortage here and around the world, the idea that God is calling women to ordination should bring a sigh of relief that ministry can be shared.
Fear is also obvious in Pope Benedict’s removal of Bishop Charles Morris of Australia who in a Pastoral Letter in 2006, after enumerating the few numbers of priests in his diocese (and their ages), stated that he would be open to ordaining married women and men if the Church so decided.
Why does the Pope fear discussion of this issue? Why have the avenues of discussion been sealed off? Does he and other Vatican officials fear women as women? Do they fear to lose the male power that defines the priesthood?
I know that fear is not a fruit of the Spirit.
