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 81 — Harmony, Celibacy, Inequality
Pope Francis has been grabbing headlines again this month, not only for his trip to Israel and Palestine, but also for his hosting of a prayer meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Vatican. That leads this month’s episode, and Helen, James and Gavin also talk about inequality in New Zealand, the inhumane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers trying to find a new home in Australia and about a group of women in Italy who want the Pope to drop the pesky celibacy rule that’s stopping them from being able to marry the priests they’ve fallen in love with. And if that’s not enough, we’ve got the Football World Cup, Christ the Redeemer and a betting agency to round out the show. Send us feedback at podcast@station15.co.nz
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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 76 — Holy Land, Catholic School, Religious House
We burst into the new year with the great news that Pope Francis, who was apparently a real drawcard in his first 10 months as leader of the world’s Catholics, will make a trip to the Holy Land and Jordan this year in the latest peace mission from a Pope. James, Lucy, Don and Gavin also talk about Catholic education — who it’s for and who it should be for — as well as the 6.6 million people who attended papal events since Pope Francis’s election, the expulsion of a priest from the Jesuits and the latest round of secularist antagonism, this time against the Ten Commandments. All in a busy episode of The 15th Station.
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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 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 68 — Church expands, and so does definition of marriage
In the May 2013 episode of The 15th Station, James, Helen, Don and Gavin talk about the latest statistics that show the Catholic Church is growing faster than the rate of population growth, and the number of seminarians, priests and bishops is growing with it. Another thing that’s growing is the number of relationships New Zealanders can consider marriage, with the passage of legislation allowing same-sex marriage. Some of the arguments against such moves are outlined in this piece, What is Marriage?, which Don mentions in the show. The panel also discusses Pope Francis’s upcoming trip to South America, the Church’s view on economic matters and the story that’s gone viral — a three-year-old Colombian boy who celebrates Mass.
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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 53 — New legislation, new brothel (?) new partnership
The panel this month analyses the contentious provisions in President Obama’s health care legislation requiring Catholic hospitals and institutions to provide health insurance covering contraception and sterilisation procedures*, efforts by Auckland businessmen to open a 15-storey brothel in the central city and the Pope’s concerning admission that Christianity risks oblivion. But, in the good news of the month, Station 15/Icon Media has become an affiliate of the international Catholic podcasting network, SQPN. We’re really excited to be part of the SQPN stable, an extension of the great relationship we’ve had with Father Roderick Vonhogen over the past three years or so.
* This episode was recorded before President Obama’s announcement of changes to the health care legislation in response to the bishops Church’s concerns
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