Month: January 2018

There was a lot made in the media today about the concern that journalists have about being inadvertently caught up in the proposed new espionage and foreign interference laws, currently the subject of a parliamentary committee hearing. Admittedly there were a whole range of others who have also expressed concern, but my attention was with… Continue reading A Criminal Fear

An interesting article from Greg Barns reflecting on the actions of the now former Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, as revealed in the recent leak of cabinet papers. While most definitely unethical and immoral - that goes without saying - the actions do raise questions about the lawfulness of the Minister's actions. Not that… Continue reading Illegal About Illegals

One of the great concerns I have is the way in which public discourse has become so uncivil. The ability for people to enter into conversation about the 'big issues' of society without resorting to vitriol, animosity, and ad hominem attacks that are not about engaging with ideas but demeaning and, at times, demonising one's opponent… Continue reading Disagreement Not Disagreeable

Along with 'law and order' issues, one of the consistently raised set of issues in election campaigns in Australia, particularly at a state level, focuses on education. All sides of the political spectrum will have their say on the wide array of issues that fall within the education portfolio, some with ideas that are completely… Continue reading Friday Filing: Teaching Young Australians

A wonderful and timely article from John Gehring at La Croix International on the move, particularly in the United States, on the move back towards a consistent pro-life ethic, often referred to as the 'seamless garment' approach, whereby being pro-life is much more than being simply anti-abortion. While of particular application to the American setting, there… Continue reading Restoring the Seamless Garment

"The truth will set you free", drawing on John 8:32, is the title of Pope Francis' Message for World Communications Day 2018, and is subtitled "Fake news and journalism for peace". Given the topical nature of the message, I publish it here in full: Dear Brothers and Sisters,    Communication is part of God’s plan for… Continue reading “The Truth Will Set You Free”

In light of recent mass shootings in schools in the United States, a phenomenon which is all too frequent, the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Blase Cupich, asks a very important question: How many children have to die before we find the political will to do something about it? Read the full statement via the link… Continue reading US Gun Control Is A Pro Life Issue

Andrew Hamilton, writing for Eureka Street, points out the true significance of the current spate of attacks on judges and magistrates for their supposed lenient sentences for supposed African youth gangs by politicians and the media allies of said politicians. It is the kind of attack that needs to be resisted by the citizenry of Australia… Continue reading Attacks on Judicial Discretion

Another thought-provoking article from Massimo Faggioli in La Croix International, in which he comments on the current difference in religious worldviews within (especially) Western Catholicism. There is, Faggioli strongly suggests, a distinction to be made between classical Catholic conservatism and the nascent but strengthening neo-traditionalism that is currently evident in the ways he identifies. Of particular… Continue reading The Death of the Mainstream

A timely article found its way into my email inbox today from America magazine. Written by Simcha Fisher, the article reminds those who know things need to watch the way they behave towards those who haven't had the same opportunity to come to know those things, and we especially should not resort to anger and angry… Continue reading Knowing What We Know

Drawing on the publication of a recent essay, Massimo Faggioli once again insightfully comments on the nature of the divide between "traditionalists" and "progressives" within the Church, particularly the American iteration of the Church. The phenomenon on which Faggioli comments is an intriguing one, and one that while primarily an American phenomenon, is also finding… Continue reading Continuity and Rupture