Who is the Head of the Catholic Church in SA?
We have a cardinal, but we also have the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) with a president, currently Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha. But who is...
Author: Gunther Simmermacher
Saints in a New Focus
Photographer Kristyn Brown has created portraits of saints using ordinary people as models. Günther Simmermacher interviewed the artist. One day her mother talked about a third-century martyr...
Farewell to my friend, Fr Emil Blaser
On November 16, Dominican Father Emil Blaser died at the age of 78 after a long illness. Southern Cross editor GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER remembers his old friend. Today...
It’s Farewell – and Hello
This is the final edition of The Southern Cross as a weekly newspaper, bringing to a close a run of more than 5 200 consecutive weeks of...
Why Series ‘The Chosen’ is Binge-Worthy
The producers of a new series on the ministry of Jesus say they’ve created binge-worthy TV—and they’re not wrong. Leaving aside the terminology of binging, which calls to...
How Mary Magdalene The Apostle Was Slandered
For many centuries, Mary Magdalene was seen as the penitent prostitute in Luke’s Gospel. That view has changed only quite recently, as GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER explains. Mary Magdalene...
How Joan of Arc Was Burnt for Avoiding Rape
At a time when gender-based and sexual violence against women, in South Africa and elsewhere, is being described as a pandemic, St Joan of Arc may serve...
Catholic Martyrs of the Third Reich
Twelve years of Nazi rule produced many Catholic martyrs. GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER looks at some of those who died for resisting the regime in Germany and Austria. When...
Path To The Passion 5: Jesus Dies On the Cross – And Christ Is Risen
Follow Jesus’ Path to the Passion In this five-part series we will follow the paths of Jesus in the weeks and days before his crucifixion. By its...
Path to the Passion 4: The Two Trials Of Jesus
Follow Jesus’ Path to the Passion In this five-part series we will follow the paths of Jesus in the weeks and days before his crucifixion. By its...
Path to the Passion 3: Jesus’ Last Supper And Arrest In The Garden
Follow Jesus’ Path to the Passion In this five-part series we will follow the paths of Jesus in the weeks and days before his crucifixion. By its...
Path To The Passion 2: Jesus Takes On The Ruling Classes
Follow Jesus’ Path to the Passion In this five-part series we will follow the paths of Jesus in the weeks and days before his crucifixion. By its...
