This is the only English language TV interview with Cardinal Ratzinger. Raymond Arroyo interviews the Cardinal shortly before his election as Pope Benedict. Â The...
john oconnor
Lenten diet of four quartets
A report in The Telegraph last month suggested that classic works of literature and poetry are "rocket-boosters" to the brain.An Australian priest, after reading the...
less sentimental, more mature
A balanced and encouraging interview with Cardinal Francis Arinze (Nigeria)
spring cleaning for Lent
Today was 'shrove' or 'pancake' Tuesday. I didn't get around to pancakes today - the news of Pope Benedict's resignation was too distracting. This day is more widely...
letter from a pope
On Christmas Day 2005, eight months after his election, Pope Benedict issued the encyclical letter "God is Love", the first of three such letters.The letter was gentle...
you will find true life!
In April 2005, Pope Benedict celebrated his first Mass as Pope. His homily on that occasion was a remarkably gentle, robust and pastoral reflection. His focus on that...
Pope Benedict XVI
Here is the message to the cardinals from Pope Benedict:Dear Brothers,I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to...
hope in suffering
A couple of weeks ago I was delighted to, by chance, run into a couple of young friends at one of our Hurunui Masses. They had recently returned from a year in Europe....
into the depth of culture and faith
a reflection for 10 February 2013, the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.School is back after our NZ summer break, and this past week we have celebrated 173 years since...
may they rest in peace
I invite you to join with me this weekend in praying for the happy repose of the souls of my parents who died three and four years ago this weekend. Evelyn O'Connor,...
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Vocations
Today is the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday (note the Gospel reading) and marked throughout the church as Vocations Sunday. As Vocations Director here in the Christchurch diocese I have invited priests to use this one day to focus...
meet Paul
In today's first reading we meet Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians. These verses from the Acts of the Apostles (which makes up our daily diet of liturgy first readings in these post Easter weeks) tell of the beginning of one of the greatest...
power of words
A few days ago the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King passed quietly. While the anniversary is significant in the process of movement towards civil rights for all people and an acknowledgement of the great leadership of Martin Luther King, the...
kerygma
It was a pleasure this morning to celebrate Mass for the people of Lincoln and Leeston. Both communities continue to suffer the effects of the earthquakes with Lincoln parishioners worshipping in the local Anglican church and Leeston back in their church a few months...
to be holy…
I have been savouring the early paragraphs of Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation "Rejoice and be Glad" which was published on Monday. I am encouraged and inspired by what I am reading and I think you will be too. Here's a few paragraphs (14-18) in which the pope...