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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Station XV: Episode 66 — Habemus Papam!!
There’s really only one story to talk about this month, and it’s the election of Pope Francis. What a momentous occasion for the Church and what great interest it received from around the world. James, Marcus, Shannon and Gavin talk about the announcement, the man himself, the name he chose, their (very) early reactions, the big priorities he faces and even find some time to mention a light story, with a US TV show seeking to demonstrate the ignorance of the average Joe or Joanne on the street asking what they thought of the new Pope — days before he was announced. Enjoy the show, and tell your friends 🙂
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Station XV: Episode 63 — Papal Preponderance and Preoccupation
It’s been a big month for Pope Benedict — the man himself, and a caricature of him in New Zealand. The panel chats in this Christmas episode of The 15th Station about the Pope’s new book on Jesus, Benedict featuring in an ad for a power company that seems to promote gay marriage (and the reaction from the Church to that), as well as his new document looking at Catholic identity. There’s also reflection on a New Zealand Anglican bishop getting a new post at the Vatican and a new take on the New Evangelisation.
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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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Station 15: Episode 52 — Pope speaks to NZ bishops…and the world
In the first episode of 2012, the panel chats about Pope Benedict’s speech to bishops from New Zealand and the Pacific, his speech to the dozens of ambassadors to the Vatican and the surging Catholic candidate for the Republican presidential candidate. We also talk about the “head-hunting” of an Australian priest to be the new rector of the New Zealand diocesan seminary. For some additional reading, here’s a link to a piece on former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. And for some additional listening, here’s an ABC Radio interview with Msgr Peter Jeffrey.
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15 Minutes with the Bishop: The Papacy
On June 29, the Church commemorates the lives of two great pillars of Christianity: Sts Peter and Paul. Peter was, of course, the first Pope and in this week’s episode Bishop Patrick Dunn talks with Gavin about the origins of the papacy, the role of the pope and the concept of papal infallibility. New episodes of 15 Minutes with the Bishop are uploaded each Friday.
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15 Minutes with the Bishop: Verbum Domini
Late last year, Pope Benedict XVI released the apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini, which was his bringing together of the various recommendations and conclusions of the 2008 Synod of Bishops on the Word of God. In this week’s episode of 15 Minutes with the Bishop, Bishop Patrick Dunn offers some insights into the document, which can be accessed on the Vatican website by clicking here.
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