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 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 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 72 — Special prayers, special appointment, special guest
Four years after his last appearance, Father Roderick Vonhogen returns to Rendition Studios for this month’s episode of The 15th Station. Along with James, Shannon and Gavin, topics for discussion include Pope Francis leading a day of prayer and fasting for Syria, the Holy Father’s appointment of a new secretary of state and efforts in New Zealand to address youth unemployment. Two religious orders kissing and making up and the papal “selfie” are also on the list of topics. Enjoy the show — and tell you friends about 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 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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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 65 — Did you hear the Pope resigned?
To cover possibly the biggest story in the history of The 15th Station, we had to think big. So we went even more international than normal, with Lucy in Asia and Gavin in Australia joining studio-bound James and Brendan to discuss the Pope’s surprise announcement, start a bit of crystal-ball gazing and reflect a little on Benedict’s papacy. The Los Angeles archbishop’s decision to relieve his predecessor of his duties, a milestone Mass in New Zealand and an unusual Catholic school oath also fill a bumper episode — complete with technical difficulties.
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Station XV: Episode 60 — A cathedral, a proposal and a Martini
Same-sex marriage continues to dominate Catholic discussion in New Zealand and leads this month’s episode of The 15th Station. With our studio out of action, James and Gavin talk across the oceans about that story, including a sporting analogy that was devised to demonstrate how redefining words is a dangerous precedent. The guys also talk about the tributes for Cardinal Carlo Martini, the possibility of a joint Anglican-Catholic cathedral in Christchurch and the place of Catholicism in the upcoming US election. They end with the story that went around the world — the fresco fiasco. Thanks for listening and we’d love to get your feedback.
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