For almost half of the 200-year existence of the Catholic Church in South Africa, this newspaper has edified, educated and entertained many generations of the faithful.
In two years’ time, in October 2020, we will celebrate the 100th birthday of The Southern Cross, being able to reflect on a century of spreading the Good News
One of the most profound episodes in the gospels is Jesus’ encounter with the woman of dubious repute at Jacob’s Well in Samaria (John 4:5-42). There were many reasons why Jesus should not have engaged with that woman. For one thing, as she rightly noted, he was a Jew and she a Samaritan, members of groups who maintained a mutual hostility.
When Pope Francis was elected to the Chair of St Peter, he reportedly whispered: “I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The question of land is putting South Africa’s prospects for peace and economic growth at risk, and needs to be solved with urgency and wisdom. Since parliament voted in February to place on the discussion table the option of expropriating privately-owned land without compensation, polemic on the issue has intensified, too often taking on racist dimensions.
Why is it that many Catholics wear crucifixes around their necks but not representations of the empty tomb? Without the...
The Cross, which we behold in a special way on Good Friday, was used as a method of capital punishment by many societies, including the Romans, from about the 6th century BC to the 4th century AD. Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, abolished it in his empire in AD 337, out of veneration for Jesus Christ, the most famous victim of crucifixion.
Few things can exercise Catholic minds as much as decorum, or the perceived lack thereof, at Mass. This is, in itself, a good thing: it shows that the faithful regard Sunday Mass not only as a weekly obligation but also as a mystical encounter with God which demands proper reverence.
Christ chose a small band of twelve everyday men and charged them with the awesome responsibility of teaching everyone on earth about him and his mission. He also chose a scholarly man, initially fiercely opposed to this mission, the converted Saul of Tarsus, and gave him the same vocation, that of preaching with them the Good News to every nation on earth.
Few family tragedies leave as many lasting scars as the suicide of a loved one. Those left behind not only are faced with the grief that accompanies all bereavements, but they inevitably will inquire into the past to answer questions that cannot be answered.
