A Good Man in Africa: Archbishop Desmond Tutu

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 stepping [...]

The Synod on the Environment

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 Church ties

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 the Dignity and Equality of African Women

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 equality [...]

Archbishop responds to DFID white paper.

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 the [...]

The Pope, the Press, and AIDS in Africa.

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.  He [...]