News in Articles

Less People attend Church services - who is to blame?

Less People attend Church services - who is to blame?

by: Ron Rolheiser, OMI in Articles,

It’s no secret that today there’s been a massive drop-off in church attendance. Moreover that drop-off in church-going is not paralleled by the same widespread growth in atheism and agnosticism. Rather, more and more people are claiming to be spiritual but not religious, faith-filled but not church-goers. Why this exodus from our churches?

Science just keeps proving the Church is right

Science just keeps proving the Church is right

by: Jim Schroeder for Aleteia in Articles,

Catholic beliefs have long been challenged by that elite triumvirate of academia, media and government. Today, many of us are also finding our beliefs challenged in our daily lives — in our professional careers, our parenting and how we live.

Pope: Evolution, Big Bang do not push aside God, who set it in motion

Pope: Evolution, Big Bang do not push aside God, who set it in motion

by: Carol Glatz - Catholic News Service in Articles,

The Big Bang theory and evolution do not eliminate the existence of God, who remains the one who set all of creation into motion, Pope Francis told his own science academy. And God's existence does not contradict the discoveries of science, he told members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences Oct. 27.

Pope Francis’s healing, loving revolution is unstoppable

Pope Francis’s healing, loving revolution is unstoppable

by: Austen Ivereigh - The Guardian in Articles,

 A lot more discussion and reflection are needed before the synod of bishops comes up with concrete proposals next year. What matters is that the pastoral is being brought to bear on the doctrinal: the church has decided to live in that tension. It’s a lot less tidy, but a lot more holy.

The Egotism of Atheism

The Egotism of Atheism

by: Jim Schroeder - Aleteia in Articles,

Simply put, atheists think that belief in God is not 1) logical or understandable, 2) scientifically verifiable or 3) emotionally reasonable. Over and over, those who deny the existence of the Divine come back to these three "arguments."
 

Understanding Catholic France: A Conversation with a French Country Priest

Understanding Catholic France: A Conversation with a French Country Priest

by: By Harry Stevens - Regina in Articles,

France is a confusing place for outsiders, especially when they don’t speak French and they are trying to understand the position of the Catholic Church there. Here’s our interview with Pere (‘Father’) Gregoire Cieutat, who shares with us in Regina Magazine his background and his experience up close with Catholic France.

The myth of religious violence

The myth of religious violence

by: Karen Armstrong - The Guardian in Articles,

The popular belief that religion is the cause of the world’s bloodiest conflicts is central to our modern conviction that faith and politics should never mix. But the messy history of their separation suggests it was never so simple

Portrait of an Italian missionary in Korea

Portrait of an Italian missionary in Korea

by: Cristian Martini Grimaldi - UCAnews in Articles,

Interview: Fr Maurizio has worked for 25 years with the poor and marginalized in the divided península. He studied physics at the University of Messina in Sicily before moving to Marino near Rome to work in a youth center at the Missionari Oblati di Maria Immacolata.

The sad business of trying to disprove God

The sad business of trying to disprove God

by: Charles Moore - The Telegraph in Articles,

Ludwig Wittgenstein, the great philosopher, who understood religious belief throughout his life, mostly without quite sharing it, wrote: “Faith is faith in what is needed by my heart, my soul, not my speculative intelligence… Only love can believe the Resurrection.”

Don't Go There

Don't Go There

by: Steve Doughty - Mail Online in Articles,

Don't make our mistake: As assisted suicide bill goes to Lords, Dutch watchdog who once backed euthanasia warns UK of 'slippery slope' to mass deaths. Theo Boer, a European assisted suicide watchdog, said 'don't do it'. In Netherlands euthanasia has been legal since 2002. However, in six years the numbers of deaths have doubled  

Perpetually Distracted

Perpetually Distracted

by: Ron Rolheiser, OMI in Articles,

To be a human being is to be perpetually distracted. We aren’t persons who live in habitual spiritual awareness who occasionally get distracted. We’re persons who live in habitual distraction who occasionally become spiritually aware. 

Europe from Evangelizer to Evangelized

Europe from Evangelizer to Evangelized

by: Reporter - Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon in Articles,

The Catholic Faith in Europe has its roots in antiquity, beginning with the arrival of the apostles themselves: Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and Saint James. Then, it was from Europe that the Faith radiated to all the corners of the world, thanks to the missionary force of the Church

Stingy with God's Mercy?

Stingy with God's Mercy?

by: Ron Rolheiser, OMI in Articles,

As I age, I am ever more inclined to the old priest’s advice: We need more to risk God’s mercy. The place of justice and truth should never be ignored, but we must risk letting the infinite, unbounded, unconditional, undeserved mercy of God flow free.

Is the Catholic Faith fading? Not really.

Is the Catholic Faith fading? Not really.

by: Filip Mazurczak - First Things in Articles,

In absolute terms, the number of Spanish Catholics attending Mass weekly grew by an astonishing further 23 percent between 2012 and 2013, according to CIS. Meanwhile, between 2007 and 2013 the number of Spaniards contributing part of their taxes to the Church rose from eight to nine million.

Are Christians in Britain feeling at home?

Are Christians in Britain feeling at home?

by: Crammer blog in Articles,

The Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe says being a Christian in modern Britain is "very difficult". She attributes this to "quite militant secularism" and equality legislation: both have combined to create an intimidating and censorious context, making people feel they ought not to express their faith publicly. 

Spain's Families Are Struggling

Spain's Families Are Struggling

by: Reporters - Zenit.org in Articles,

A newly published report on the state of families in Spain revealed grave structural deficiencies and a lack of government support. The Spanish Institute of Family Politics (Instituto de Política Familiar España) released its 2014 study on the evolution of the family in Spain to coincide with the May 15 International Day of the Family.

The Importance of Friendship in Different Cultures

The Importance of Friendship in Different Cultures

by: Aliya Sagandykova in Articles,

When I asked my Spanish friend if it is better to have $100 in the wallet or 100 friends in life, he without a second of hesitation chose $100. In post-Soviet countries this dilemma is not a dilemma at all. There is an old saying in Russian: “Instead of having 100 rubles, better have 100 friends.”