David Seymour claims that submissions opposing his bill are the result of a campaign of “Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt” from an anti –assisted dying lobby spouting mistruths about the bill. He is seeking to influence the Justice Select Committee to reject submissions and in so doing undermining the democratic process. Seymour’s baseless allegations are deeply Read more
Especially during the tourist season, the church at which I exercise my liturgical ministry receives a large number of visitors. A surprising number of them, usually women, make it a point to tell me with an air of disapproval for what we have on offer that in their home country they only go to Latin Read more
As he enters the sixth year of his pontificate, Pope Francis is in good health, good spirits and sustained by that inner peace that came to him during the conclave and has never left him, according to sources close to the 265th successor of Peter. Many commentators around the world have sought to produce a Read more
There was a time in life when I wanted change and wanted it now. I still want things done now, but over the course of the years, I discovered that, at least where the church is concerned, I was looking for action in the wrong places. As Sean Freyne, the Irish theologian and Scripture scholar, Read more
The movie Shadowlands is the story of C. S. Lewis and his wife Joy. At one point in the film, after finding out Joy’s cancer has gone into remission, one of Lewis’ friends says to him, “I know how hard you have been praying, and now God is answering your prayer.” Lewis, brilliantly played by Read more
Last weekend, Washington’s Cardinal Donald Wuerl issued a pastoral plan on the implementation of Amoris Laetitia. This text makes an important step towards moving the church beyond the controversies generated by the document, controversies largely confined to the pages of the Catholic press, and focuses on what Amoris Laetitia is really about, revitalizing the church’s Read more
The #MeToo movement, launched by activist Tarana Burke 10 years ago, went viral in October after actress Alyssa Milano and other prominent women publicized it, and after countless women (and a few men) published the hashtag on their social media pages to indicate that they had been sexually harassed or violated at some point in Read more
As our Pacific Islands cousins face the unprecendented impacts of climate change, they are looking for allies who will support them by taking concrete actions to limit global warming to 1.5oC and will also rehome the now inevitable climate change refugees from low lying Pacific states. Those allies are precious few. Most nations are long Read more
Helicopter parents are really helpful to their kids in the short-term. They act like personal concierges who assist their kids with everything from sports equipment to science fair projects. They rescue their kids when they forget their soccer cleats and they chauffeur them from one activity to the next. Quite often, kids with that type of support are Read more
The death of liberalism constitutes the publishing world’s biggest mass funeral since the death of God half a century ago. Some authors, like conservative philosopher Patrick Deneen, of Why Liberalism Failed, have come to bury yesterday’s dogma. Others, like Edward Luce (The Retreat of Western Liberalism), Mark Lilla (The Once and Future Liberal), and Steven Read more