THIS brief glimpse of Jesus in all his glory through the Transfiguration is also meant for us today. Perhaps like the disciples, we too experience fear, doubt and even a lack of faith. Perhaps we too need to be encouraged and strengthened by Jesus, especially as we continue our journey through Lent. We too need […]
Category: Pastoral Messages
Follow Jesus’ path
THE scene of Jesus’ temptations is a story that we don’t need to interpret lightly. The temptations that are described aren’t exactly of the moral order. The story is warning us of how we could ruin our lives if we leave the path that Jesus follows. The first temptation is of decisive importance, since it […]
Archbishop’s Message For Lent 2017
“What are you giving up?” We all know Lent is approaching when we start to hear this question! This Lent let us all remember that Jesus challenges us personally in three special areas; prayer, fasting and almsgiving. This Lent I recommend we all make some simple commitments. Prayer: This Lent how can each of us […]
Call to Love
THE call to love is always seductive. Surely, many graciously welcomed Jesus’ call to love God and to love our neighbour. But what they couldn’t imagine is that one day he would speak to them about loving their enemies. However, Jesus did just that. Without any backing from the biblical tradition, distancing himself from the […]
Desire To Change Is Enough
OF all the many reflections on Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love), and the disagreements on divorced and remarried Catholics, this latest comment from a senior Cardinal makes a great deal of sense. Catholics who find themselves in what the Church considers ‘non legitimate’ situations can receive Holy Communion as long as they want to […]
Letter From Archbishop Hart
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I write to you as the final hearing involving the Catholic Church at the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse commences in Sydney on February 6, 2017. The hearing is expected to conclude at the end of February. For the victims and survivors, for the Catholic community and for […]
Challenges Of The Church Today – Bishop Vincent Long
I BELIEVE that we are living in a watershed and privileged moment in the history of the Church. Just as the biblical exile brought about the most transforming experience that profoundly shaped the faith of Israel, this transition time can potentially launch the church into a new era of hope, engagement and solidarity that the […]
Christmas Message from Archbishop Denis Hart
CHRISTMAS is a special time when we remember God’s closeness to us and our responsibility to become peacemakers. In this season of peace and goodwill we see our God, the maker of all things visible and invisible, reduced to the most vulnerable of creatures; another little Middle Eastern boy caught up in homelessness, poverty and […]
Food for thought
THE Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge, thinks that some of his fellow Bishops are afraid of confronting reality, and acknowledging that “uncertainty is simply part of modern life” in response to the debate about Amoris Laetitia. The Archbishop attended the Synod of Bishops in Rome, 2015, where there was healthy disagreement about important issues to […]
Joint Statement on Teenagers in Adult Prisons
ARCHBISHOP Denis Hart and Anglican Archbishop Philip Freier said they had taken the unusual step to issue the joint statement because they shared a deep concern about the welfare of “the most vulnerable and impressionable children” in the youth justice system. The Andrews Government last week started transferring teenagers from the Melbourne Youth Justice Centre […]