Commentary “I hope he rots in hell!” shouted the voice on the phone. He was furious with me for my defence of Cardinal George Pell, who at that time (this was a couple of years ago), faced the worst imaginable legal and personal persecution. My caller made it clear that he loathed Christianity equally. I…

Commentary As a former atheist who has been a reasonably practicing Roman Catholic for 51 years, I hope I will be pardoned a few Easter thoughts. I didn’t desert non-belief with a burning fire of Revelation, but because I concluded that spiritual forces were abroad in the world and that there was thus probably a…

Commentary As Christmas is fast approaching, it is a time for Christians, especially Catholics, to reflect on a turbulent year. Those who are even remotely interested in spiritual matters know that Christianity, especially Catholicism, is threatened. The threat is, at least partially, a consequence of the powerlessness of the Catholic Church and its leaders to…

Commentary As Christmas is fast approaching, it is a time for Christians, especially Catholics, to reflect on a turbulent year. Those who are even remotely interested in spiritual matters know that Christianity, especially Catholicism, is threatened. The threat is, at least partially, a consequence of the powerlessness of the Catholic Church and its leaders to…

Commentary The #MeToo Movement has facilitated the uncritical acceptance of the “I hear, I listen, I believe” mantra, which implies that those claiming to be victims of sexual abuse, must necessarily be believed regardless of the implausibility of their allegations. Although such allegations may prove to be true, there is a possibility that they could…