Category: Views
Original contributions from ARC members
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Just war?
Catholics in the USA could be forgiven if they are confused by the apparent conflict between their President and ‘their’ Pope. It must be especially troubling for the more conservative among them. Over recent decades they stood firmly behind two conservative Popes, John Paul II and Benedict, but found Francis sufficiently confronting that many rejected
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Authentic tradition, authentic voices and religious nationalism
J P Grayland In this article, J P Grayland looks at the recent “war of words” between the U.S. President, Vice President, and Pope Leo XIV. “Understanding the recent conflict within a broader setting helps Christians avoid resorting to popularist responses or adopting oversimplified theological commentary.” He goes on to raise questions about the implications
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“I don’t know what God is”
When I read this piece, I don’t know what God is. But the search keeps me grounded and feeling alive, by Karen Rinaldi in The Guardian recently it spoke to me sufficiently that I posted a link on our parish Facebook page. A few days later I received an email message from our priest saying
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A Reflection upon a Reflection
‘The self-imposed constraints on an effective priesthood’ On the last day of the 2025 school year, as is traditional at my school we started the day with a Christmas liturgy for all teaching and non-teaching staff, followed by farewell speeches for those not returning the following year. A congregation of over one hundred well educated,
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Not what I imagined or hoped
I approached Eugene Stockton’s pieces in ARCVoice 97 (Jun 2025) with interest and hope. Three ‘articles’ appeared in that issue with the rest to follow in subsequent issues. Part 1, Times are a-Changing, seemed to strike the right notes, acknowledging that the world had changed and our church must change in response. The observation that “the
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Reflection on spirituality
“Religion is a person sitting in church thinking about kayaking. Spirituality is a person in a kayak thinking about God.” This observation, used by some religious writers, is often attributed to Roger Caras, an American writer who is also a wildlife photographer. It creates a contrast between a structure with tradition (religion) and a more
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Understanding disaffected Catholics
Since I was asked to present the reasons why so many Catholics are disaffected with the Church from the perspective of the members of Australian Reforming Catholics and those who are affiliated with or support them, I have entitled my presentation as “Understanding the Disaffected”. The term “disconnected” has been used here today and, while