Station XV: Episode 110 — Voting, Governing, Ordaining, Building and Writing
The remarkable and unexpected election of Donald Trump highlights this month’s episode, with stories about the voting patterns of Catholic and Evangelicals and the hope for shared priorities with the Catholic Church and the President-Elect. Pope Francis’s affirmation of the Church’s teaching on women’s ordination and the news that the Christchurch Cathedral could be fully restored — at the cost of $100 million — also feature on the show. But the big question of the month is “What happened to a New Zealand teddy bear at the Vatican?” Enjoy the show.
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Station XV: Episode 109 — Elections, Episcopacy, Elevation, Ecumenism and Exorcism
The longest — and most negative — presidential campaign in history is coming to a close. Don, James and Gavin talk about the Pope’s advice for US voters: Study the policies, pray and vote your conscience. Where does that leave voters? The panel also discuss a new bishop in Australia, who’s actually a New Zealander, the new group of cardinals and what that says about Pope Francis’s vision for the Church, and also the ecumenical efforts of Anglican and Catholic leaders, including two Kiwi bishops. And this month’s light story isn’t all that light; in fact, it’s pretty dark. Does the world have enough exorcists? Enjoy another diverse episode of The 15th Station.
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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 104 — Pope, Pope, President, Pope and Pasta
Pope Francis can’t seem to stay out of the headlines, but it’s mostly for positive reasons that he’s in the media in the first place. Pope Francis’s gesture — which he says wasn’t political — to bring 12 Syrians back to Rome from the Greek island of Lesbos captured headlines and people’s hearts. His call for tough action on paedophiles was well received, but many want actions rather than words. The new Filipino president’s words, including a pretty unkind swipe at Pope Francis, were also in the news, as was discussion of women deacons. But was the media coverage more hopeful than truthful? Check out a transcript of what the Pope actually said. Maybe James, Don and Gavin could get more information from the Pastafarian lovebirds married in New Zealand. Yes; you read that correctly. Enjoy the show.
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Station XV: Episode 102 — Madonna, martyrs, madness and metal
There are many reasons for doom and gloom when considering this month’s lineup of topics — none more so than reflecting on the murder of four Missionaries of Charity in Yemen. They are “today’s martyrs”, Pope Francis said, and it’s hard to disagree. In New Zealand, Bishop Patrick Dunn has spoken out against Madonna, who he said engages in highly offensive conduct in her current concert. In the US, causing offense seems to be something of a pastime for presidential hopeful Donald Trump. Pope Francis and leading Catholic academics have been highly critical of the billionaire’s rhetoric and policies. Is the criticism fair? Lucy, Don, James and Gavin consider those questions, and also do their best to think about Iron Maiden’s greatest hits.
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Station XV: Episode 84 — Matrimony, Electioneering and Technology
The Pope conducting a mass wedding ceremony is usually grounds enough for big news, but when some of the couples are announced to have been cohabiting and having had children before tying the knot, it creates even more headlines. Lucy, James and Gavin are on the case, wrestling with the tricky issue, as well as looking at Archbishop John Dew’s reflection on the state of New Zealand politics, a willingness for more NZ victims of clerical sex abuse to come forward and Pope Francis’s latest first — an international Google Hangout with a group of young people. The show concludes with an uplifting story of grace under difficult circumstances. Enjoy the show.
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Station XV: Episode 62 — Commission, Canonisation, Apparition
In this month’s episode, James and Gavin discuss the big news out of Australia: the establishment of a Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse, with the Catholic Church currently public enemy #1 in the country. There’s even a question over the possibility of a similar New Zealand inquiry. What has happened in New Zealand, though, is the “quiet” opening of a new abortion clinic. There wasn’t much quiet in the northern hemisphere, though, with the canonisation of seven new saints and the US bishops speaking on moral issues making a fair amount of noise. Meanwhile, in Malaysia, is this an apparition of Our Lady?
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The View from Down Here: Election recap
Brendan and Gavin perform a verbal autopsy on last week’s presidential election, looking at the impact of Hurricane Sandy, the campaigns each candidate ran, the changing demographics of the electorate, the economy, the role of the media and so much more. Where does the conservative movement and the Republican Party go from here? Was this a disaster for the party? Was this a ringing endorsement of President Obama and the progressive agenda? With the election now in the rear-view mirror, we’re also having a think about the future of The View from Down Here and we’d love to hear from you about what you’d like. We’re leaning towards a monthly show with an ongoing focus on US culture, religion and politics from a Kiwi perspective. Email us on podcast at station15 dot co dot nz and let us know if that sounds good, or if you have other thoughts.
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The View from Down Here: ELECTION PREVIEW
After months and months of anticipation and expectation, we’re now less than 48 hours away from the first polls closing as the US elects its next president. Three New Zealanders try to read the tea leaves from thousands of miles away, looking at the state of the race at this late stage, analysing how last-minute events can — or did — change the race and finally making a prediction on who will win. Join Brendan, Tim and Gavin as they break it all down with a distinctly New Zealand flavour. And if you think some Catholic leaders are being tough on the Democratic Party and its policies, watch this video we mentioned in the show. Enjoy the election, y’all. Whatever the outcome, we’ll be back to analyse it next week and see who was right and who was wrong.
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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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