In some countries, a form of religious-cultural nationalism is back in vogue. Religion is exploited both to obtain popular support and to launch a political message that is identified with people’s loyalty and devotion to a nation. It is taken for granted that people have in religion a common identity, origin and history, and that Read more
Today’s millennials are in many ways caught between a rock and a hard place, at least when it comes to traditional religious observance. On the one hand, they’re disillusioned with their parents’ religious traditions, which have failed to provide them with a coherent account of meaning and purpose in the world. On the other hand, Read more
As protesters on Friday toppled a statue of Father Junipero Serra in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, leaders of another California city had already announced plans to remove a statue of the Catholic saint near their city hall. And by Saturday afternoon another Serra statue was toppled at Placita Olvera in downtown Los Angeles. “Pull Read more
The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed the way people live, both individually and collectively. But has it altered the way we think about the basic fabric of our lives? Not yet. I think it should, though—especially in ways that strengthen the vision of interconnected creation outlined by Pope Francis in Laudato si’. Influenced by literal Read more
Isn’t it good to be back? Corpus Christi, our first level one Mass, was a true celebration of the body of Christ. Our church was full of glowing faces, smiles, spontaneous hugs, happiness that made me think of David dancing before the Ark of the Covenant. We realised how much we had missed each other Read more
When Pope Francis was elected pope, the Vatican was in trouble. The Roman Catholic Church’s mishandling of sexual abuse and a series of financial scandals had challenged the credibility of the institution and emptied its pews. For Francis, the root of the church’s problems was clericalism: the belief that religious people belong to a superior Read more
Catholic liturgy has had its greatest social shock in generations. No one had seen churches locked before, few had ever thought of “streamed” liturgies and, across the world, there have been liturgical experiments that were unthinkable just weeks ago. Now the churches are opening up – slowly – but the legacy of the virus experience Read more
The vocation of the laity is not an opt-out from the life-altering call to “preach the Gospel at all times” — with our bodies, with our words, with our lives. This is a misguided notion lay people too often believe: because our mission fields are not centred on sacramental altars and we make different vows, Read more
The other day I went to get a haircut after the last 2 months in lockdown (I didn’t trust the others in my ‘bubble’ to give me a haircut!). As I entered the shop to see my old friend and barber, I noticed – further along the street – the blanket-covered body of someone sleeping Read more
John Cleese has railed at the decision of BBC-owned streamer UKTV to remove the famous The Germans episode of Fawlty Towers from its platform. He labelled people who failed to see it as a critique of racist attitudes rather than an endorsement of them as “stupid.” “One of the things I’ve learned in the last Read more