September 2009

For better or worse

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading we hear Jesus’ injunction that the bond of marriage entered into freely under God is indissoluble. Challenged by the theologians of his...

Surprised at liturgy reaction

My first reaction to the comments to changes in the English liturgy was to wonder why, since the changes were so minimal. We bishops did painstakingly go...

45 great life lessons

While it may be true that research often shows journalists to be languishing somewhere in between car salesmen and lawyers near the bottom of the list of...

Such Sexism in Mass reading

I was to have been the reader at my parish church for the Saturday evening Mass of August 22 (21st Sunday). However, I found the second reading...

Africa’s Church in focus

Not long before his death in 2005, Pope John Paul II imparted on Africa, a continent he loved, a final gift by announcing a second Synod for...

Hurley bio: A full life of love

GUARDIAN OF THE LIGHT: Denis Hurley Renewing the Church, Opposing Apartheid, by Paddy Kearney. KwaZulu-Natal University Press, Scottsville. 2009. 382pp. Reviewed by Gunther Simmermacher In a lighter...

Lesson from a tax office

One day I went to a Receiver of Revenue office to complain about how ruthlessly I had been taxed. I thought that while the extent to which...