Egan

Ordained ministry renewed

Although it has been seen primarily as a “pastoral” council, Vatican II had a dramatic impact on ordained ministry. It restored the permanent diaconate and it called...

Education for freedom

Youth Day on June 16 can all too easily be reduced to just another holiday commemorating yet another figure or group engaged in South Africa’s democratisation. To...

Unity in Christian diversity

Vatican II had a lot to say about the scandal of divided Christianity, indeed a whole decree (Unitatis Redintegratio, 1964) was written about ecumenism. And non-Catholics welcomed...

Mary and Christian unity

‘Catholics worship Mary, not Jesus,” you hear many Christians say, particularly evangelical and Pentecostals. “No we don’t,” we reply. But then you hear of some of the...

Church and the workers

Responding to the “new” question of workers’ rights and organised trade unionism in the 19th century did not come easily for the Catholic Church. The papacy in...

How the Church embraced Judaism

Prejudices – such as racism, sexism and homophobia, to name but three – die hard, not least those that seem to have religious approval. Sometimes shameful experience...

Seamlessly for life

In some circles the “seamless garment” approach to life issues is perceived to be inadequate, almost a “relativising” of Catholic pro-life teaching. This, I suggest, is a...

Greening the Church

In many of his writings and speeches Pope Benedict, like many other Church leaders, sees care for the environment as a moral challenge to all people. While...