Liturgy
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A gesture of unity or a triumph of tradition?
Pope Leo XIV has reintroduced the 1962 rite in the Church’s heart. His invitation to Burke is being watched closely: will it be seen as a step toward unity, or will it embolden those who regard the post-Vatican II Church with suspicion?
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Eucharist is a verb
Celebration, not just consecration, sits at the center of this theologian’s rethinking of what happens at Mass.
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Rethinking the God of our Liturgy
The way we describe God has practical consequences. Language and how we speak shape our theology, our worship, and ultimately the way we live our faith in community and in the world. Every phrase we use in prayer becomes an image of God that moulds our hearts, actions, and shared vision of grace.
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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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