Station XV: Episode 87 — ‘Tis the season…
Advent is a busy season for the Church, and that includes the Station 15 panel. Working through this month’s full slate of topics are James, Lucy, Don, Gavin and — returning after many years — Gabriel. Pope Francis is the central figure in the episode, led by his first episcopal appointment in New Zealand, but followed closely by his comments on Islamic terrorism and his advice to theologians: “Listen to the people.” The panel also discusses parish amalgamations in New Zealand, following an international trend, and the vexed question “Would you baptise an alien?” Happy Christmas from the Station 15 crew.
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Station XV: Episode 86 — On synods, struggling, science and shonkiness
The Synod on the Family — or Part 1 of the Synod, at least — has continued to dominate headlines in the Church, including in New Zealand, where the lone Archbishop, Wellington’s John Dew, continues to be a strong proponent of changes to the pastoral care of Catholics who have divorced and remarried. Don, James and Gavin pick up the conversation on the controversial topic, and also discuss the unrest among some senior bishops and cardinals, as well as the allegedly groundbreaking moment of a Pope saying evolution might be real! Quelle horreur! There’s also the actually groundbreaking comments of Prince Charles on persecuted Christians and the latest “Jesus was married” conspiracy. Enjoy the show — and if you do, why not invite a friend to listen too?
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Station XV: Episode 80 — Saints, popes, bishops, sisters and podcasters
What podcast in the past three weeks would be complete without discussion of “Four Popes Sunday” — the canonisation of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II by Pope Francis, with Pope Benedict on hand? Not this one, so Helen, James and Gavin lead with that momentous story, and continue the show with discussion of a bishops’ gathering in New Zealand, a meeting between the Vatican and some American religious sisters and an historic meeting of a New Zealand leader and Pope Francis. We also talk about drug trafficking. A typically diverse and entertaining show, we think you’ll find.
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Station XV: Episode 79 — Schools, saying sorry and standing strong
It’s Holy Week, and there are stories to challenge and inspire people in this month’s episode, as Lucy, James and Gavin talk about the challenge of providing a solid Catholic education, as well as the courage and witness of Pope Francis and martyred Dutch priest Fr Frans van der Lugt. The panel also discusses the new class of first-year seminarians in New Zealand, reflecting the increasing diversity of the Church here, and the singing religious sister who stunned judges on Italy’s version of The Voice with her remarkable talent. The Station 15 teams wishes everyone a happy and holy Easter. Until next month….
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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 70 — Pastors, princes and Pope Francis
With the panel down on numbers and an early recording date, it’s a more concise episode of The 15th Station this month as James and Gavin discuss some of the big stories of the month, including Pope Francis’s desire for bishops to be more pastor than prince, the idea of the Church reclaiming the word “matrimony” as marriage is redefined in various jurisdictions and we take a look at the first meeting of arguably the two most important Christian leaders in the world — Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury. We said “arguably”. Other big stories from the month, including the upcoming canonisations and the new encyclical, will feature in next month’s podcast.
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The View from Down Here: October 25, 2012
With under two weeks to go until the presidential election, that naturally dominates this week’s show, covering the story from many angles — the final debate, the polls, the campaigning, the reaction in swing states and the Al Smith Dinner, to name but a few. But Brendan and Gavin also find time to talk about a couple of other important stories, including an analysis of the “War on Religion” in the US and the canonisation of the first Native American saint (see awesome photo) and another woman whose ministry to lepers in Hawaii laid the path for her canonisation. Enjoy the show, and check back next week for another View from Down Here.
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Station XV: Episode 61 — The butler did it, and so did the German bishops
The magic of the Internet brings Don, James and Gavin together for this month’s episode of The 15th Station, in which the papal butler’s conviction, the sale of a Catholic school to a Muslim education trust and the German bishops’ ruling that Catholics who stop paying a Church tax can’t receive the sacraments all get a run. That story has us a bit stumped, so this blog post (or this one) can offer a more learned exposition of the situation. We also chat about the changing religious landscape in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, and revisit the evolving story of the fresco restoration fail.
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The View from Down Here: June 26
After illness and travel commitment, The View from Down Here returns with a full slate of stories that range from the downright scary to the ridiculous. In the former category is the controversial treatment of Attorney General Eric Holder regarding a policy that saw guns put in the hands of Mexican criminals — guns that were later used to kill an American man. Now, President Obama is using executive privilege to protect Holder. President Obama is also using his executive pen to allow young illegal immigrants to stay in the United States if they’ve been making a contribution to the country. Firmly in the ridiculous category is an Obama campaign suggestion that people use their wedding registry to help bankroll his re-election campaign. And there are plenty of stories between those extremes. Thanks for listening, and we’d love to get your feedback.
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Station XV — Episode 44: Blessed John Paul II (and others)
In this month’s episode of The 15th Station, there’s the usual mix of good and bad news as we cover the wonderful occasion marking the beatification of Blessed John Paul II, the death of Osama bin Laden, some good news for the Catholic Church in New Zealand and a couple of other stories that caught our eye. We hope you enjoy the show.
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