The Night We Got A New Pope
This week five years ago, every Catholic journalist in the world was antsy as we awaited the white smoke to rise from the chimney of the Sistine chapel.
Gunther Simmermacher
The Hijacking Of Carnival
Carnivals belong to the days before Ash Wednesday, not to any other time of the year, as GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER points out.
Was Jesus Black?
Was Jesus black? What did Jesus even look like? And does it matter? These questions, and others, came up repeatedly in conversation and on social media over the Advent and Christmas seasons.
This Was 2017 – The Highlights and Lowlights of the Year
It was the Catholic year that was dominated by the centenary of the apparitions at Fatima. In Southern Africa the Church began its year-long jubilee for the 200th anniversary of its establishment here, marked the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation, and challenged government and business on several issues. GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER looks back at 2017.
A Southern Cross Christmas, 75 years ago
The Christmas edition of The Southern Cross in 1942 was a slim affair at ten pages, but there was a lot to read. GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER steps into a time-capsule from 75 years ago.
Church Welcomes Zuma Judgment
The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBCC) has welcomed the ruling of the North Gauteng High Court that orders President Jacob Zuma to personally pay for his aborted legal bid to block the release of the State of Capture report.
Best TV Show of 2017 – With Nuns
It might have been the best thing I’ve seen on TV this year — and it was a reality show. The British television four-parter Bad Habits: Holy Orders could easily have resulted in something banal. It turned out to be uplifting and moving.
Franciscans’ 800 Years in the Holy Land
This year the Franciscans mark 800 years since they first came to the Holy Land, where they are the custodians of holy shrines — and part of daily life. Günther Simmermacher looks at that history.
God’s Guiding Hand in Friend’s Death
Southern Cross editor Günther Simmermacher pays tribute to his friend, Holy Land tour guide Rimon Makhlouf – and sees God’s guiding hand in the circumstances.
