On October 16, 1978, the world stood breathless as the news was announced that the Conclave of Cardinals had elected the Polish Archbishop, Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II. The subsequent twenty-seven years of his pontificate became remarkable in their goal to welcome the Third Millennium as a Church renewed in doctrine, credible in witness, [...]
In a recent General Audience (23-11-11), Pope Benedict reflected upon his November visit to Benin. The Pontiff stated that the purpose for his Apostolic journey was three-fold: to pay homage to that nation’s late Cardinal, Bernard Gantin; to consign a document synthesizing the deliberations of the 2009 Synod of Bishops on Africa, and to commemorate [...]
Recent controversy in the Catholic Church has reignited debate about the role of Catholicism in modern society. Commentators have noted that the Church thus finds itself at a definitive moment in its history. New Africa Analysis spoke to Sister Janet Fearns who worked in Nigeria and Zambia as a nurse and midwife for over twelve [...]
The title of William Boyd’s book could have been invented for Desmond Tutu and I make no apologies for this rather personal review of his contribution to South Africa, Africa and the world. The former Archbishop of Cape Town and one of the most important public figures in South Africa has announced that he is [...]
Safeguarding the environment and assuming responsibility for its development has been a consistent theme in the recent discourse of the Holy See. Pope Benedict’s Message for the World Day of Peace (January 1, 2010) and his Address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See (January 11) both emphasized how spiritual and secular leaders [...]
Botswana’s Vice President Mompati Merafhe Tuesday 6th April 2010 praised the role of the Church as a ‘moral authority’ in the country. Merafhe spoke at the official opening of the country’s Old Apostolic Church, highlighting how the Church had been a part of nation building initiatives such as the countries ‘Vision 2016’ scheme and its [...]
On March 22, Pope Benedict journeyed to the Angolan Parish of Santo Antonio in Luanda. His purpose was to meet with members of Catholic movements devoted to the promotion of women. There are those who have queried why the Pontiff so chose to strongly endorse this focus upon women’s identity. Critics contend, for example, that [...]
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has welcomed the launch last week of the British Government white paper, ‘building our common future’. The paper which is a rebranding of the goals and objectives of the department for international development (DFID) commits additional support for the world’s poorest people affected by conflict, climate change and [...]
By Rev. Dr. Bernard J.O’Connor On March 17, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI responded to questions from journalists during his flight while en route to Cameroon. Zenit International News Service published this interview (http://www.zenit.org/phprint.php ) the following day, enabling us to critique the response of the Pope to an issue raised by France 2’s Philippe Visseyrias. [...]
