Released tonight, a devastating new report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that the world is running out of time to avert 1.5 degree warming, a rise in temperature that would bring catastrophic changes to the world as we know it.

Already, the Pacific is at the forefront of these changes.  Tragically, Australia is ranked last for climate action amongst United Nations members. By refusing to reduce climate pollution, our government is directly threatening the lives, livelihoods and cultures of our Pacific neighbours.

Twentieth Sunday of the Year

The word wisdom crops up in the call to live wisely. Though there is the conventional wisdom in contrast to everyday foolishness. Yet, in the Bible’s upside-down world, ‘foolishness’ is seen as wisdom. We see it in the God who endures hatred and rejection. We see it in the God who prefers to be with the weak and unjustly treated rather than the powerful. Wisdom is not about esoteric knowledge but about doing.

Reflections for the Feast of the Assumption

After the Second World War, Mary was declared as assumed into heaven, body and spirit after her death by Pope Pius Xll despite Catholics having already believed this. Experts were concerned that such a new dogma might complicate relations with other Christians. What is important is the timing of this move. Pius XII became pope in March 1939, six months before the Second World War began. The global upheaval that marked the first decade of the papacy of Pius XII produced a veritable litany of the debasement of human dignity.