A young priest in the Czechoslovak Hussite Church has been pleasantly surprised by the welcome and openness she has experienced at the Synod of Bishops on young people, she told America in an interview. A fraternal delegate, Rev. Martina Viktorie Kopecká, 32, … Continue reading Female Cleric among Catholic Bishops!

Buddhism has led me to reflect deeply about desire. To try to eliminate desire is, in a way, to reduce, to limit the quality of human life. Unlike Buddha I do not believe that desire is in itself an obstacle … Continue reading To Desire

Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke What is unity? What is uniformity? Is unity uniformity? And is uniformity the same as unity? Can there be uniformity without unity? Could there be unity without uniformity? Let us take these questions down to something we all are familiar with, and to which we all belong: Family. Think of a typical family where everything is in order, where there is love, peace, and …unity! Oh unity in the family. In what does this family unity consist? I could hear someone saying that it consists of family members doing things in common. Oh yeah. That is probably … Continue reading Unity versus Uniformity

Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke In the riverine area of Niger Delta, fishing was the normal activity of the peace-loving people of Egbemma community. Before the sun sets and at the approach of dawn, little boats paddle across the length and breadth of the great river of Ubasi as farmers do their business. Everyone is in the game. Some very experienced old fishermen, with larger boats, have over the years mastered how to get a good haul. There are also many new comers. Each striving to make a catch. That is the story of Onyeka and Jekwu. On one of such fishing … Continue reading From the Neighbour’s Boat

Ikenna Paschal Okpaleke Hello! Hi, I’m Uche I’m Georgie from the UK. And where are you from? Oh! I’m from Nigeria. So, are you new to our Faculty of Theology? Well, yes and no. How do you mean? I’m here as an Erasmus student. I actually study at Durham University. That’s quite interesting. A young British lady: What exactly attracted you to the study of theology? Are you planning to be a pastoral worker or a theology professor or what? Well, I’m an agnostic. Agnostic? Like, you doubt if God really exists? That sort of thing? Yeah. I doubt. I … Continue reading Georgie

Enter into dialogue so that you can learn and grow, not necessarily to change the other person. Everyone must be honest and sincere, even if that means revealing discomforts with your own tradition or that of the other. Everyone must assume that everyone else is being equally honest and sincere. Everyone must be permitted to define their own religious experience and identity, and others must respect this. Do not feel that you are the spokesperson for your entire faith tradition or that you ought somehow to know everything there is to know about it. Admit any confusion or uncertainty you might have … Continue reading Key Points to Dialogue