Father Came To Visit

Bishop Javier Echevarría speaks to Mark Nel

The Prelate of Opus Dei came to South Africa for a very brief visit. He arrived on Friday night, 24 May 2013, and left again on Tuesday night, 28 May 2013. I wrote about this earlier in my Blog “Prelate of Opus Dei Visits South African Parish”. I was convinced I would not get to see him in person. 

Prelate of Opus Dei Visits South African Parish

Bishop Javier Echevarría (Right) and Fr Thomas Gibson

In 2006, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale of the Archdiocese of Johannesburg entrusted the pastoral care of the Mater Dolorosa Parish in Kensington South, Johannesburg, South Africa, to the Opus Dei Prelature. Today the parish was blessed with a visit from the Prelate of Opus Dei, Bishop Javier Echevarría.

Ask The Big Shots Who They're Kidding?

Cyril Ramaphosa
Mail & Guardian Photo - Mike Goldwater

I was outraged by the article by Felicity Duncan in Money Web entitled “Are These Guys Kidding?!” She is referring to the request by NUM for a 47% increase in the entry-level wage for surface mine workers and a 60% increase for underground mine workers.

Imposition: Is This How We Arrive At Truth?

I would have thought that the Church would make every effort to avoid showing support for groups who have demonstrated a strong inclination to forcefully impose their opinions on the Church. I am clearly wrong. This week I have been cogitating the fact that my Catholic diocese has allowed a group, which clearly believes in forcefully imposing its beliefs regarding the ordination of women, to advertise its activities on the diocesan Facebook Page.

Pope Performs Exorcism?

I see there is a great deal of debate going on about whether the Pope performed an exorcism on Sunday, 19 May 2013, or not.

Interview - Cardinal Schönborn

I came across this truly amazing video of an English interview of Cardinal Christoph Schönborn OP. I found it on the Southern Orders blog, one of the Blogs I follow. What a delightful warm man Cardinal Schönborn appears to be.

Birth Control Reality Check

Margaret Sanger

It was today, May 9, in 1960, that the US Food and Drug Administration first approved the use of the birth control pill[1] and it was Margaret Sanger who apparently first coined the phrase, ‘birth control’, in about 1914.

Radical Reform - Church or Editors?

How often have we heard talk about the urgent need for the Church to begin a process of radical reform in order to stem the exodus of people, especially young people, from the Church? Those who utter these warnings claim that radical change is the only way we can possibly save the Church. The Church, they claim, must keep up with a rapidly changing modern world.

Editorial – Dismiss As Hilariously Bad?

Matthew Archbold published his take on “The 7 Most Hilariously Bad Arguments for Gay Marriage” at the beginning of April 2013. In it he highlights, in a light-hearted manner, some of the really ridiculous arguments that are sometimes presented by those who support same sex marriage.

The Revolution Of Family - A Response (Part II)

As promised in an earlier Blog post – The Revolution Of Family - A Response (Part I) – here is another extract from the Vatican document: “Considerations Regarding Proposals To Give Legal Recognition To Unions Between Homosexual Persons”.

The Revolution Of Family - A Response (Part I)

A reader sent me a message via Facebook to draw my attention to the editorial in the latest edition[1] of The Southern Cross. The editorial has served, yet again, to confirm to me that this publication should most definitely not be sold from within our Catholic churches.

Pope Emeritus Returns Home

Mater Ecclesiae Convent

Today Benedict XVI, Pope Emeritus, has returned to the Vatican to take up permanent residence at the Mater Ecclesiae Convent, which has just been restored.