On March 17, Joe Biden took firm control of the Democratic nomination process, winning primaries Florida, Illinois and Arizona by significant margins. The ongoing coronavirus epidemic is in part responsible, having reshaped voters’ worries and expectations, but the role played by religion in Biden’s resurrection should not be overlooked. Indeed, Biden’s comeback began in South Read more
“All Masses Cancelled” That sign has just gone up outside my local church. Who could have imagined it just a couple of weeks ago? Most Catholics are simply glad. Large gatherings are just what we do not want at the moment. The loving thing right now is to keep our distance lest we catch and Read more
Parliament Wednesday evening passed the Labour-led government’s Abortion Legislation Bill by 68 to 51. It represents an attack on the family, on the status and dignity of women and on the right to life of New Zealanders in the first nine months of life. Our right to life is universal and inalienable. The denial of Read more
When two or three are gathered on Facebook, is Christ there? When 10 Jews meet on a Zoom call, is it a minyan? Over the past few days, as states have asked houses of worship to suspend services, synagogues have held muted Purim celebrations and other religious meetings and services have been cancelled, people have Read more
Since the fall of the fascist dictator Mussolini, the state in Italy has been a rather nebulous entity. Governments rise and fall — 61 since the end of the Second World War, but who’s counting? – yet things have kept on just fine. Where the state was for the most part invisible, the Catholic Church Read more
Demand for confessions at St. Mary’s in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, has always been high: it’s a centrally-located church with convenient, daily confession times and often multiple confessors. During the parish’s normal 11:30-noon weekday confession times, penitents on their lunch breaks line up, often 20 people or more deep, for absolution and sacramental grace, before returning Read more
Tall white rose bushes line both sides of the path leading to the front door of the immaculate-looking villa. There are curtains at the windows and no signs of neglect or decay. Yet this expensive, inner-city home is one of Tāmaki Makaurau’s “ghost houses” – properties left empty long-term at a time when the country Read more
As is already clear from the sudden rash of closings, cancellations and diagnoses of prominent people, the coronavirus outbreak is spreading rapidly. In response, many bishops around the world have taken the difficult but prudent step of dispensing the faithful from their Sunday Mass obligation. Those decisions are to be commended for the sake of Read more
The Christian faith is not just a personal commitment, it is also a communal experience. From the very beginning, Christians have gathered to share the Word of God and break bread in confined spaces. They drank from the same cup and shared a holy kiss. They also cared for the poor and the sick. All Read more
Last week, I was following the news about the coronavirus, trying to make sense of what I was reading and to figure out what exactly my family needed to do to prepare. This week, life changed a bit. My husband and I found out that two of my children had been exposed to the virus, Read more