Clericalism – The Difficult Task Ahead of Pope Leo XIV

Last updated on: June 26, 2025 at 9:24 pm By Laurika Nxumalo

The synodal Church and synodality have always echoed throughout Pope Francis’s Petrine Ministry. The late Pontiff laid the foundation for the navigation of his leadership and his vision for the Synodal Church in his first apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (24 November 2013). Pope Francis’s desire and vision for a synodal Church resulted in the convocation of the sixteenth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. The Synod on Synodality has now entered into the most important phase, that... Read more

Walking In The Footsteps Of Mary

Last updated on: June 20, 2025 at 9:45 pm By Laurika Nxumalo

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Everyone in the Catholic Church has a calling, you do not need to be ordained to answer your calling, by virtue of your baptism you have been called. Some want women to be ordained as priests and deacons – the question is, if women want to be in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), who will be in persona Mater Maria (in the person of Mother Mary) within the Church? If one day we were to wake up to the... Read more

The Cardinal Taking Over From Pope Francis

Last updated on: May 7, 2025 at 8:04 pm By Laurika Nxumalo

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Today, Wednesday 7 May 2025, the papal conclave begins. The Church needs a Pope who has the same vision as Pope Francis when it comes to the Synod on Synodality. The Election of Pope Francis Prior to the conclave in 2013, the Cardinals held a series of general congregations. Each Cardinal was given a chance to make a brief statement, which is known as an intervention. Each Cardinal will highlight the issues within the Church that he feels need attention... Read more

The Roots of Pope Francis – The People’s Pope

Last updated on: April 29, 2025 at 4:49 pm By Laurika Nxumalo

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Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) was the first North American to be chosen as the Catholic Church’s Pope. Before being elected the 266th Pope, Pope Francis, a member of the Jesuit Order, was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, making him the first Jesuit to become a Pope in the history of the Catholic Church. In honor of St. Francis of Assisi who was Christ-like in living a simple and humble life dedicated to the poor, Pope Francis chose the name ‘Francis’... Read more

Catholic Relief Services Faces Crisis After Aid Freeze

Last updated on: February 20, 2025 at 3:22 pm By Laurika Nxumalo

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Catholic Relief Service vs. Trump “The Catholic Church always works to uphold the common good of all and promote the dignity of the human person, especially the most vulnerable among us, that includes the unborn, the poor, the stranger, the elderly and infirm, and migrants. The conference suddenly finds itself unable to sustain its work to care for the thousands of refugees who were welcomed into our country and assigned to the care of the USCCB by the government after... Read more

Election of Bishop Sithembele Sipuka And Synod on Synodality

Last updated on: October 30, 2024 at 7:29 am By Laurika Nxumalo

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In October 2021, Pope Francis opened the Synod on Synodality; a 3-year cycle of listening, discernment, and dialogue, which is set to conclude this month. As this cycle comes to a close, it opens a new chapter in South Africa. On Wednesday, 16 October 2024, Bishop Sithembele Anton Sipuka, the current President of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (SACBC) was elected, unopposed as the new President of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) The election took place at... Read more

Ethel Kennedy – A Matriarch Of Strong Faith

Last updated on: October 14, 2024 at 3:30 pm By Laurika Nxumalo

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The late Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was well known for her strong Catholic faith in addition to her position in one of the most powerful political families in the United States of America. Born into a deeply religious Catholic household in 1928, Ethel’s faith shaped her values and choices over the course of her life. The Upbringing Ethel Skakel Kennedy was raised in Chicago, Illinois, as part of a big Irish Catholic family. Her parents... Read more

The Trauma of Israel – From Exile to Exodus

Last updated on: October 14, 2024 at 3:30 pm By Laurika Nxumalo

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On 7th October, Catholics commemorated the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Blessed Virgin Mary is referred to as Our Lady of the Rosary in relation to the Holy Rosary devotion. This title has special significance on October 7, the feast day honoring the Christian armies’ victory at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. After Pope Pius V urged Catholics to pray for victory, the triumph was credited to the Virgin Mary’s intervention through the recitation of the... Read more

St. Francis of Assisi’s Spirituality and Global Warming

Last updated on: October 14, 2024 at 3:30 pm By Laurika Nxumalo

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Saint Francis of Assisi whose feast day is 4 October, was born in 1181 – he is one of the most popular and enduring characters in Christian history, known for his unwavering devotion to God and great love for creation. His life is a timeless example of humility, simplicity, and compassion for all living things. Though St. Francis lived before present scientific understanding of environmental deterioration and global warming (climate change), his spiritual legacy is relevant to today’s ecological catastrophe.... Read more

Embracing Deaf Culture: Understanding For Inclusion

Last updated on: October 14, 2024 at 3:30 pm By Laurika Nxumalo

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The International Day of the Deaf is celebrated annually on the last Sunday of September. It reminds society of the importance of inclusion, accessibility, and the recognition of the rights of deaf people around the world. The day recognizes not only the obstacles that the deaf community faces, but also their contributions to society and development in areas such as activism and inclusion. The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) established the day to raise awareness of the challenges that... Read more