More than a decade of abuse scandals have rocked the Catholic Church, and shifting social values have alienated its flock.
In the west, Catholicism is in decline. Just 17.5-percent of Americans identify as Catholic. In Australia young people are abandoning the church.
So why are people seemingly losing faith? Is it all bad news, or does the church have a future? And might a reforming Pope Francis turn the ship around?
In this episode of The Discussion I talk with Paul Collins. He is a former priest, broadcaster and Catholic scholar whose books include “Absolute Power – How the Pope Became the Most Influential Man in the World”.
The Holy Land is at war this Christmas. Israel and Hamas are engaged in a bitter battle.
As is so often the case, civilians are caught in the cross-fire.
So is peace possible in the Middle East? Might the road to peace run through Belfast.
In this edition of The Discussion I talk with Eddie Jackson, a policy maker who was part of the peace process that ended the bloody feud between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland.
Global hunger has reached unprecedented levels. A combination of war and climate change is having a devastating impact on the food security of over 22-million children across the globe.
Can hunger and famine be beaten?
World Vision is the World Food Programme’s largest food distribution partner. In this episode on The Discussion I talk with the Australian CEO, Daniel Wordsworth.
In the last 50 years, China has lifted more people out of poverty than anywhere else in human history. Chinese society has been transformed, and so too has the economy. Indeed, it’s now second only to the United States with a GDP of almost 18-trillion US-dollars. The sleeping dragon has awoken, but how will that shape the future?
I speak with international affairs analyst, Dr. Keith Suter.
The end of the cold war promised a golden-age of peace and human rights. But the reality has been quite different. From the brutal war in Ukraine, to authoritarian governments cracking down on citizens.
I ask international jurist Michael Kirby if human rights are under threat.
