Priest: People Deserve Better Liturgy
For all the reasons we can muster to explain why people stop coming to Mass, “There comes a point when we have to stop and ask ourselves an important question: what is the quality...
Author: Russell Pollitt SJ
Prayer: Lessons from the Women
In the weeks after Easter we hear a number of accounts in which the risen Jesus encounters his somewhat perplexed and disheartened friends. These personal encounters are a key moment; it’s from these encounters...
Did Jesus Go To Hell?
A few people have, in recent times, told me how uncomfortable they are with the line ‘he descended into hell’ in the Apostles’ Creed. One person spent time trying to convince me that the...
Let’s Decode Suicide
Suicide is a terrible way to die and it leaves a residue of pain, unanswered questions, anger and guilt for those who remain behind. It is still something we do not speak about but,...
The Dutch Reformed teach us a lesson: we are in a theological desert
The University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein has been in the news often in the last few years, most times for the wrong reasons. For many in South Africa it conjures up...
Racism: Our schools can again lead the way
Issues of race and racism have moved into the centre of South Africa’s pubic discourse. FR RUSSELL POLLITT SJ suggests that Catholic schools can lead the way to justice. Race has become a major feature in the...
The dangers of your faithful babysitter…
Bringing up children is not an easy task. I am often amazed at the glut of magazines available at any chain store – the “what you should know about” or “how to…” of child...
What does the world REALLY know about you?
I regularly read the excellent online “newspaper” Daily Maverick. Many of the articles are thought provoking, and although I disagree with some of the conclusions, they certainly give a new spin to many current...
Implementing the New English Translation of the Mass
The Missal with the New English Translation of the Mass has arrived and now we have the task of implementing it. The Missal, impressive in its presentation, will be the standard text for the...
Nomophobia, email apnea and truth
“I feel so disconnected and lost” a student said to me amidst the Blackberry (BB) outage this week. Another told me she was getting more and more depressed about the outage and “couldn’t concentrate...
Deepening the Dalai Lama Debacle?
The Dalai Lama decided not to come to South Africa this week after the South African Government dragged its feet on the issue of a visa because it did not have the guts to...
Do I subscribe to the “Pick ‘n Pray” phenomenon?
I sat, intrigued, and watched the closing mass of WYD in Madrid. It is an amazing moment to see over one million young Catholics gathered to celebrate the Eucharist. Many reports and reflections have...
