News in Articles

The problem with 'fast track' canonizations

The problem with 'fast track' canonizations

by: Pat Archbold - National Catholic Register in Articles,

I have no doubt that everyone the Church declares to be a saint is in Heaven, but the continual fast-tracking of canonizations could lead to a future embarrassing or even damaging moment for the Church.  Let the process do its job.  Let time do its job.  Fast-tracking a canonization is not getting anyone into heaven any quicker.  Let's take our time.

The slow death of purposeless walking

The slow death of purposeless walking

by: Finlo Rohrer - BBC in Articles,

 A number of recent books have lauded the connection between walking - just for its own sake - and thinking. But are people losing their love of the purposeless walk? 

Walking is a luxury in the West. Very few people, particularly in cities, are obliged to do much of it at all. Cars, bicycles, buses, trams, and trains all beckon. 

Underground churches in China dig in despite harassment

Underground churches in China dig in despite harassment

by: Michael Sainsbury, Bangkok - UCAnews in Articles,

While Shouwang has been a target of the government for many years, the latest move against underground churches is part of a broader crackdown on dissent since the regime of leader Xi Jinping came to power in late 2012. The new government is targeting any organization perceived as a threat to Chinese Communist Party policy. 

The death of Ann Maguire: how to heal the wounds

The death of Ann Maguire: how to heal the wounds

by: Elena Curti - The Tablet in Articles,

The fatal stabbing of a teacher in front of her pupils at a school in Leeds dominated the headlines for the past week. Corpus Christi College has drawn on its Catholic roots in its immediate response to the tragedy. How can it use them to face the future? 

God’s Quiet Presence in our Lives

God’s Quiet Presence in our Lives

by: Ron Rolheiser, OMI in Articles,
The poet, Rumi, submits that we live with a deep secret that sometimes we know, and then not. That can be very helpful in understanding our faith. One of the reasons why we struggle with faith is that God’s presence inside us and in our world is rarely dramatic, overwhelming, sensational, something impossible to ignore. God doesn’t work like that. 
Hunger for Life

Hunger for Life

by: Jean Houston in Articles,

The world has been re-arranged, the reset button of history has been hit. Many are called to take initiatives that before would have seemed unlikely, if not downright impossible, including the rethinking of the reality of the Intelligence that underlies the universe….

Cardinal warns politicians over ‘alarmist’ immigration rhetoric

Cardinal warns politicians over ‘alarmist’ immigration rhetoric

by: Cole Moreton and John Bingham - The Telegraph in Articles,

Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic churchman has condemned politicians for deploying “alarmist” language in the debate over immigration. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales spoke out against the use of arguments which stoke up “distress” about foreigners coming to the UK. 

The Garden of Gethsemane

The Garden of Gethsemane

by: Ron Rolheiser, OMI in Articles,

Several years ago, Mel Gibson produced and directed a movie which enjoyed a spectacular popularity. Entitled, The Passion of the Christ, the movie depicts Jesus’ paschal journey from the Garden of Gethsemane to his death on Golgotha, but with a very heavy emphasis on his physical suffering.

Good Friday: the day we forget to remember

Good Friday: the day we forget to remember

by: A N Wilson - The Telegraph in Articles,

Few, apart from practising Christians, will today commemorate Christ’s crucifixion. How have we come to allow such a momentous event to mean so little?  I am 63 years old. Throughout my lifetime, the observance of Good Friday in Britain has become ever more secularised. 

The Transcriipt of Our Trial

The Transcriipt of Our Trial

by: Ron Rolheiser, OMI in Articles,

Each of us is on trial for our own weaknesses, jealousies, religious blindness, and superficial faith. The transcript of the trial of Jesus reads like a record of our own betrayals.

We love pubs and churches, but don’t want to use them

We love pubs and churches, but don’t want to use them

by: Rowan Pelling - The Telegraph in Articles,

Indeed, it struck me while watching the BBC comedy Rev on Mondaynight that the problems our pubs face are similar to those faced by the CofE. Most Brits think of themselves as Christians (59 per cent of the population at the time of the 2011 census), but only a third go to church at Christmas, and for many that will be their sole visit.

Where does the buck stop in the Church?

Where does the buck stop in the Church?

by: Michael Kelly SJ, UCAnews in Articles,

Clarity on ultimate responsibility and liability must be established. You could be forgiven for not knowing where the buck stops in the Catholic Church these days. In any society, organization or Church community, it is important to know who is ultimately responsible in decision making; otherwise, chaos or worse would prevail.

The toxic truth about air pollution: a lethal scandal of British inaction

The toxic truth about air pollution: a lethal scandal of British inaction

by: John Vidal - The Guardian in Articles,

Blame the Sahara desert for the present air pollution. Blame Europe. Blame climate change – or even the spring sunshine, or the hole in the ozone layer. But if you are in government please don't mention the fact that the toxic air much of Britain has been breathing is mostly of our own making.

There's no such thing as a perfect mother

There's no such thing as a perfect mother

by: Anne Robinson / The Telegraph in Articles,

We are meant to love our mothers. Whatever they do, however embarrassingly they behave. But we don’t get to choose them. And who is there to tell us how to cope when they turn out to be unlovable, devious, cruel, bullying, exhaustingly anxious, or just not very bright? How many of us grow up silently promising never to repeat our mother’s worst shortcomings?

Viewpoint: Advancing the Roles of Women in the Church

Viewpoint: Advancing the Roles of Women in the Church

by: by M. Francis Mannion - Other Voices in Church in Articles,

Some women already hold prominent positions in the offices of the Holy See. While there are presently canonical impediments (which could be changed, since they are man-made), the possibility of appointing women as prefects (heads) of some Roman congregations (departments) might be further explored.

The Catholic Church's Drinking Problem

The Catholic Church's Drinking Problem

by: Robert Christian - Journal in Articles,

Creighton Prep, a Jesuit High School in Omaha, Nebraska, will begin testing their students for drug and alcohol use next year. A first positive test will result in counseling, a second in disciplinary action, and a third in dismissal. While some libertarians are irritated, many parents are thrilled the school is creating an environment that addresses the problems of drug use and underage drinking. 

The war on Christianity: The religion's followers are dwindling in the land of its birth - and it's not a crisis of faith, but one of violence

The war on Christianity: The religion's followers are dwindling in the land of its birth - and it's not a crisis of faith, but one of violence

by: Peter Pophan - The Independent in Articles,

Every corner of the Middle East is locked in more or less violent struggle, but whatever course the future takes, it is safe to predict that Christians will play only a marginal part in it – if they survive at all. Already, as the Prince of Wales recently pointed out, there is a smaller proportion of Christians in the region than in any other part of the world: just 4 per cent, and falling fast. 

Pope Francis, Economists, and the Excluded

Pope Francis, Economists, and the Excluded

by: Carlos Martinez - UCAN in Articles,

 In several passages of Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis focused on the excluded. He states, “It is no longer simply about exploitation and oppression, but something new. Exclusion ultimately has to do with what it means to be a part of the society in which we live; those excluded are no longer society’s underside or its fringes or its disenfranchised – they are no longer even a part of it.

The Beatles and the Blessed Mother

The Beatles and the Blessed Mother

by: Carson Holloway - CV in Articles,

It is hard not to think of the Faith in connection with one great Beatles song: Paul McCartney’s “Let it Be,” from the album of the same name.  That song features a “Mother Mary” who comes to us in “times of trouble” with her comforting “words of wisdom”: “Let it be.”