Because marriage equality is so prevalent in Catholic countries, Joe Grayland pose whether Catholic theology more than Protestant theology is more open to same-sex blessings? Is there a difference between catholic and protestant theology – more than evangelical protestant theology? James Alison responds to these questions. “Intrinsic to Catholic theology is the notion that grace…

Where is the church going with the debate over same sex blessings? Should our understanding of liturgy, blessing and sacraments be radically rethought or is the problem that we understand blessing, sacraments and liturgy as things that are “done to us”? Answering from a liturgical perspective Tom O’Loughlin says ‘liturgy is a human response to…

The Vatican’s same-gender blessings statement (Responsum) has back-fired according to theologian Dr James Alison. “I’ve been rather encouraged, and particularly surprised how much more unworriedly critical a vast number of people, including cardinals and bishops have been”. He’s calling the Vatican’s move ‘a shot in the foot’. James Alison spoke with Professor Thomas O’Loughlin, Fr…

Flashes of Insight – Let’s Talk Liturgy switches focus to the Eucharist as the Celebration of a people, a people attached to a greater body and the tensions that exist between individual expressions of thanksgiving and the expressions of thanks a community may offer. Particular issues discussed include:

Join Dr Carmel Pilcher, Dr James Siemens and Jo Ayers and Professor Thomas O’Loughlin for a panel discussion hosted by Dr Joseph Grayland. Under discussion is Eucharist as the Celebration of a people, a people attached to a greater body and the tensions that exist between individual expressions of thanksgiving and the expressions of thanks…

In part three of Let’s Talk Liturgy the conversation continues about whether we can send an apple by email. In this conversation we consider liturgy in the light of COVID-19 and examine

In part two of Let’s Talk Liturgy the conversation centres around Worship bedrocks Liturgy as a product Preparing liturgy Change in liturgical language People reduced to consumers Christ in the assembly Liturgy of the hours and a world view I vs We What to do in the absence of communal liturgy Small worship groups

The Catholic Church is selling “the Eucharist” and people short and is making a mistake by turning Mass into a YouTube experience. The comments are from Thomas O’Loughlin, emeritus professor of Historical Theology at the University of Nottingham and Director of Studia Traditionis Theologiae. “There are some things Zoom and YouTube just won’t do because…

The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the risk elements in the Church’s sexual abuse response, says Fr Hans Zollner SJ. Zollner is the leading Rome based specialist in addressing the scourge of sex abuse in Catholic institutions. With less money in circulation, he is urging civil and church societies not to blur their focus nor cut…

One person recently said, the Virtual Mass was great. “We could lie in bed, go to Mass in London, Florence, Ireland and even Auckland. It would be great if we could keep it”. Another said, “The first week I stood when I should, the second week I felt comfortable knitting and in the third week…