Safety From Men
Once in a while, news reports of rapes and murder of women and girls pile up to create a sense of despair among South Africans. So it has been over the past month...
Author: Editor
The Echoes of 1934
Pope Francis last month sounded a warning from history when he noted that much of the current political rhetoric reminded him of the populism applied by Adolf Hitler in 1934, as the Nazis were...
The Bradburne Sainthood Cause
There will be much rejoicing when the archdiocese of Harare officially launches the sainthood cause for John Bradburne on September 5, the 40th anniversary of his violent death. There are many Catholics, in southern...
To be Prepared for the Word of God
As Catholics we are taught that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist which we receive at Mass; but often his presence in the Liturgy of the Word is treated as secondary. In last...
In All Things, Charity
Catholics are prone to complain that they do not receive sufficient respect from those outside the Church, especially in the secular world. One reason for secular disregard for the Church is an incomprehension of...
Transfer of Feasts
The patronal feast of South Africa, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven, is on August 15. This year the feast falls on a Thursday, and in Southern Africa the solemnity will therefore...
To Feed the Multitudes
In the Gospels we observe Jesus’ response when, on two occasions, he was faced with crowds of people he knew to be hungry. Something needed to be done, and Jesus performed the miracles of...
The Army in the Streets
When the time comes to measure the success of the deployment in Cape Town of the South African National Defence Force in combating the rampant gangsterism in the city’s townships, we will need to...
Lessons to Learn From Fake Priest
We must be alarmed at how easy it was for a conman to pose as a priest, even to the point of violating the sacrament of Reconciliation. As we report this week, a Congolese...
A Test of Humanity
Eighty years ago, a German ship’s captain defied the Nazi regime in 1939 by sailing an ocean liner around the world to find safe haven for 900 Jewish refugees. Captain Gustav Schröder went to...
Where is Christ?
Many committed Catholics have responded to the ongoing scandals in the Church by grappling with a most important question: Why should I stay in the Church? Introspective articles on that question have been published...
Dropping the ‘Father’?
Pope Francis frequently condemns a culture of clericalism in which priests “lord it” over the laity and pursue a path of self-aggrandisement rather than of service. It is a culture of clericalism in which...
