Liturgy
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Blessing love without betraying doctrine
The Church faces a defining question: can it bless love without betraying doctrine? What began as pastoral care now challenges the very grammar of Catholic worship — for in the Church, what is blessed becomes a revelation of belief.
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What if the Eucharist wasn’t about the priest?
Strip away clericalism and you find a Eucharist rooted in community, not hierarchy. Augustine imagined a Church where the people gather as priests, not spectators. What if the priest presides by listening first—and the people claimed their power?
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The room preaches louder than the ritual
We are shaped by space. Decades of reflection have revealed the limits of the traditional church layout. The long, narrow design of ancient basilicas survives today, shaping behaviour and focus. Instead of gathering around a shared table, congregations sit like audiences at a concert.
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Foot washing: not a mime, but a model for the Church
Sarah Mullally’s words challenge the Church to rediscover its radical core. By placing service before status, and compassion before ceremony, she offers a model of leadership that could yet transform the Church from within.
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Reform without an imprimatur
Though it lacks official endorsement, the Bristol Text offers reassurance that reforms can be both faithful and lawful. Its authority rests on theologians and pastors who shaped it, rather than on hierarchical approval.
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Improvised liturgies expose gaps in Pacific liturgical support
Without lectionaries, Pacific dioceses improvise. The Good News Bible is often the only vernacular scripture available. Readers rely on ordos from other countries for references, flipping ahead in their Bibles to find passages for proclamation at Mass, however fragmented they may be.
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Reverence beyond lace veils
When framed as a return to “authentic” worship, mantillas risk creating a sense of spiritual elitism. Without intention, they can leave others feeling judged or less devout, shifting focus from conversion and holiness to superficial signs.
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Liturgical antiquarianism by stealth?
The Second Vatican Council’s Sacrosanctum Concilium urged renewal of the liturgy for active, conscious participation. It insisted that symbols be clear, direct, and meaningful. Yet in practice today, many rituals risk reversing that vision, introducing complexity where simplicity was intended, and creating distance rather than engagement.
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New Lectionary promises inclusive language
A new Lectionary in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand signifies a renewed commitment to ensure that Scripture is proclaimed with inclusivity, accessibility, and depth. It invites the faithful to recognise the living word as central to liturgy, identity, and mission.
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Beauty, peace, and productivity: Designing spaces that shape us
What makes a space sacred? Reverence, beauty, light, and silence. Could these same qualities transform our home offices into places that nurture both productivity and human dignity?
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