In a Fortress with the Crusaders
In February GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER made a private visit to the Holy Land. In the last in a series of six articles, he visits the Crusader city of Acre. For salacious gossip of the kind...
Category: Simmermacher
How the Crusaders Changed the World
In February GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER made a private visit to the Holy Land. In the fifth of a series of six articles, he considers the Crusaders and their legacy. When the terrorists of ISIS announce...
The Sites of Holy Week in Jerusalem
In February GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER made a private visit to the Holy Land. In the fourth of a series of six articles, he follows the sites of Holy Week in Jerusalem. What a scene it...
Fixing Up Our Holiest Churches
In February, Southern Cross editor GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER made a private visit to the Holy Land. In the third of a series of six articles, he witnesses the renovations in the place of Jesus’ birth. On...
The Faith of Palestine’s Christians
Last month Günther Simmermacher made a private visit to the Holy Land. In the first of a series of articles, he looks at the Christians of Palestine. After a long wait in the queue,...
Lesson: Don’t Mess with the Pope
The unexpected resignation of the head of the Knights of Malta at the request of Pope Francis is a big deal. It shows that for all his good-natured openness, the Holy Father still demands...
When the Holy Family Came to Africa
Today, February 5, the faithful of Cape Town and Port Elizabeth recall their diocesan patronal feast: the Flight into Egypt. Günther Simmermacher looks at the story of the Holy Family coming to Africa. The Holy...
How St Nicholas became Santa Claus
Santa Claus dominates the public image of Christmas, but he was based on a great Christian. GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER looks at the history of St Nicholas of Myra, and how the saint from modern-day Turkey...
Here’s a Pope You Wouldn’t Want
A new TV series has at its centre a young American pope. GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER took a look at The Young Pope and shares his impressions. The new American pope stands on the balcony of...
A Pick of Top 10 Churches
Among the riches of our faith is the great diversity of our churches. Here Southern Cross editor GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER picks his Top 10 favourite churches. More Stories: Mary’s first Apparition and a Miracle The...
With God on the Football Pitch
At the press conference after he had led Portugal to the European Championship in France this month, coach Fernando Santos paid a lovely tribute to Christ and the Blessed Virgin. “I want to thank...
The Deep Faith of Egypt’s Christians
Who are the Copts and what is Christianity like in Egypt? In the ninth part of his series on the recent Pilgrimage of the Peacemakers, Günther Simmermacher looks at the faith in Egypt. More...
