Station XV: Episode 108 — Popes, Saints, Veeps and Zuck
The canonisation of Mother Teresa — now St Teresa of Calcutta — was the big news story of the month, and it takes top billing in this episode of The 15th Station. But news of two Popes isn’t too far behind, after an interview with Pope Benedict was released, prompting a flurry of media stories. For Pope Francis, it was him being chosen as the world’s most inspirational leader by former NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark and his meeting with Mark Zuckerberg that features on the show. And, with less than two months until the US election, Democrat VP candidate Tim Kaine raised eyebrows with his prediction the Catholic Church might eventually join the ranks of those who support same-sex marriage. Find out if Don, James and Gavin disagree.
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Station XV: Episode 88 — Elevation, consternation and celebration
A first for the Church in New Zealand in 32 years – the elevation of a Kiwi bishop to the College of Cardinals – leads the first episode of The 15th Station for 2015, but there are plenty of stories for James, Don and Gavin to mull over. Pope Francis’s critique of “deviant forms of religion” and his ruling on Chaldean priests who fear returning to Iraq are also discussed, as is the leader of Catholic education in New Zealand’s recognition as a knight, becoming Sir Brother Patrick Lynch. Meanwhile, some Argentinians are making a song and dance about Pope Francis. Enjoy the show – and share the link with a friend as a New Year resolution.
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Station XV: Episode 78 — Alarms, anniversaries and alcohol
It’s March 15 — so we’re in the week marking the anniversary of the election of Pope Francis. The interview the Holy Father conducted recently is a topic for discussion, along with the latest statistics on Catholics in New Zealand — nominal and practising — and the promotion of Cardinal George Pell to head the Vatican’s new economic secretariat. James, Helen and Gavin also talk about a small New Zealand town fighting the departure of a group of religious sisters, as well as the drinking habits of those who live at the Vatican. Thanks for listening; tell your friends.
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Station XV: Episode 77 — Il Papa was on Rolling Stone
Pope Francis continues to be a media darling, with Rolling Stone magazine the latest publication to run a glowing piece on the Pontiff as he approaches the one-year anniversary of his election. But, as this article from The Week explains, there were quite a few errors and exaggerations in the article. Pope Francis has also been in the news with his appointment of his first group of new cardinals, and he’s also talked of the Internet — our medium of communicating with the world — is a “gift from God”. We find it hard to disagree with him. James, Shannon, Don and Gavin also talk about the death of a New Zealand bishop and a survey of Catholics in Germany and Switzerland. Enjoy the show.
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Station XV: Episode 75 — Exhortations, Commendations and Affiliations
Pope Francis continues to dominate headlines around the world — and discussion on the Station 15 podcast network — with his naming as Time’s Person of the Year and the release of his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. The Church in New Zealand has also been in the news, with the release of Census data about religious affiliation showing Catholics the largest Christian denomination for the first time as “no religion” continues to soar ahead, and the NZ bishops calling for people to be mindful of their attitude at Christmas, with love of neighbour taking precedence over consumerism. There’s also a bit of fun around Pope Francis’s other end-of-year awards. Happy Christmas from the team at The 15th Station.
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Station XV: Episode 74 — The Pope, the Cardinals and Lesus Christ
Is the Church about to become a democracy? And a democracy that has women cardinals, no less? Your answers to those questions will depend on which news sources you’ve been reading over the past few weeks. Pope Francis is surveying dioceses and parishes to get some insight into family life in preparation for next year’s synod on the topic, and there’s been conjecture he’ll appoint women cardinals at his first consistory in February. What we do know is that a Latin American cardinal thinks New Zealand should have a louder voice in Rome, a $20,000 bathtub isn’t a great idea and someone forgot to proofread some new Vatican coins. Join James, Don and Gavin for this month’s show.
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Station XV: Episode 73 — Interviews, intervention and interlocution
It was one of the most newsworthy moments of Pope Francis’s pontificate — the interview heard around the world. When the Holy Father sat down with fellow Jesuit priest Fr Antonio Spadaro, the two discussed a wide range of topics, and much of what was spoken about became water-cooler conversation around the world. James, Don and Gavin chat about that interview, Pope Francis’s intervention to save lives in Argentina a couple of decades ago and Pope Benedict’s decision to write a letter to a journalist who had questioned the former Pope’s efforts to combat abuse. Those stories and more in this month’s episode of The 15th Station.
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Station XV: Episode 71 — It’s our birthday; let us eat cake
It’s hard to believe that it’s six years since The 15th Station sprung into life in a small office in Auckland, but the crew invites SQPN legend Steve Nelson into Rendition Studios to share in the birthday celebration. The remarkable events of World Youth Day in Rio, and the subsequent unremarkable comments on the flight back that generated headlines around the world, dominate this month’s episode. James, Don, Shannon, Steve and Gavin also talk about Lumen Fidei, the joint Francis/Benedict encyclical, a doctor who has an interesting philosophy on prescribing contraceptives and the impending canonisation of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII. Even the light story has an unusually serious discussion. Thanks for listening to this episode, and any of the other 70 shows in this podcast and however many of the other shows in the network. You guys are great.
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Station XV: Episode 69 — Catholics, Atheists and Nudists
Can atheists get to heaven? Can a group of Catholics call their Catholic group “Catholic”? Can Pope Francis continue his charmed run with the media when he makes his first overseas trip next month? Can Catholics still be members of the Boy Scouts of America? And can someone without any pants parody the Pope? A series of fascinating questions — and some interesting answers — on this month’s episode with James, Helen, Don and Gavin. And if you’re looking for John Allen’s preview (mentioned in the show) of the challenge facing Pope Francis ahead of World Youth Day, you can find it here.
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Station XV: Episode 67 — Speaking frankly about Francis
It’s been just over a month since Pope Francis took the helm of the Barque of Peter as leader of the Catholic Church. In this month’s episode, papal musings dominate the show, with Helen, James, Don and Gavin talking about his first Easter Triduum, his first discussion of the sexual abuse crisis and also the Argentinian connection — tenuous as it may be — between Pope Francis and Diego Maradona. The panel also chats about the likely passage of same-sex marriage legislation in New Zealand. Could anything stop it from becoming law?
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