Category: Views
Original contributions from ARC members
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NAIDOC reflection
As I take my morning walks I typically listen to a podcast. On Sundays that is Soul Search from ABC Radio National. The content varies substantially from week to week but is mostly interesting and sometimes inspiring. Occasionally I will feel a need to follow up and learn more about a topic. This is NAIDOC…
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Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
A post by Julie Rubio on the Catholic Moral Theology blog picks up on Pope Leo’s discussion of the principles of Catholic social teaching in Magnifica Humanitas. The post notes that different sources offer different lists of principles but that the Pope has presented a structure in which “human dignity and rights are now understood…
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I’m a Catholic woman who was allowed to preach at Mass—until it was banned
The Vatican has rejected a request from the German bishops for special permission to allow lay men and women to preach homilies during Mass. Although the following article focuses specifically on women, it helps us appreciate what lay people can bring to preaching, and what is lost when their voices are silenced by the institution.
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Another view on Just War Theory
This piece by Michael Wee makes a strong case for moving beyond just war theory. Modern warfare uses technologies that deliver devastating force at distance making it difficult or impossible to limit the effects to combatants. Civilian populations and the environment suffer damage that may have effects for generations and it is difficult to see…
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A ‘Leonine’ Version of Synodality?
By Massimo Faggioli, 12 June 2026 From an institutional point of view, the most consequential, long-term legacy left by Pope Francis to his successor is synodality. While Paul VI had conceived and instituted the Bishops’ Synod in 1965, it was not for “synodality” as we think of it now, but was rather an expression of…
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Silicon Valley priest: Encyclical gives new impetus to Church–Big Tech dialogue
Fr. McGuire writes that as Church, we certainly do not agree on everything, but that it is essential that we follow Pope Francis’ idea of synod: listening, encountering, and working with people. He believes that the dialogue has been able to have with the Tech community in Silicon Valley has been very fruitful. That dialogue…
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The Theology of Chairs
Did Pope Leo choose to meet this gathering of lay leaders in this way or did he merely go with the way the Vatican arranged the meeting? Whatever the case, it appears that the Pope has missed a golden opportunity to show how Synodality works. As I stated in the latest ARCVoice, it is a…
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Final Synod Report on Synodality
These summaries have been prepared by Terry Fewtrell using the words contained in the report. The dot points are his own to enable understanding and promote reflection.
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Women’s Leadership and Church Culture
Some countries demonstrate greater or lesser acceptance of women as leaders and/or ministers, but the biggest barrier against women in the Church crosses all territorial boundaries. It is the culture of clericalism.
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St Francis Teaches Us
This week is Laudato Si Week. It is opportune to look at what St Francis taught us about our place in Creation. In the article that follows, the author points out that St. Francis taught us that to obey Christ is sometimes to disobey the church. https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/st-francis-teaches-us-obey-christ-sometimes-disobey-church