Today’s world seems so to have so many unscrupulous money-changers, that we come to the gospel story already primed. As Jesus overturns tables and drives men out with a whip of cords, we are mentally shouting, “Good on you, Jesus! Go for it! Give them what they deserve!” But were the money-changers in the temple Read more
The British press is a fathomless mine of lurid but thought-provoking, strange-but-true explorations of the dark side of the human condition. Last week’s revelation was published in a magazine called The New Day — a passionate incestuous romance between a 51-year-old British woman and her 32-year-old American son. Kim West was studying in California when she had Read more
On a spring day about five years ago, when I was rector of Mundelein Seminary, Francis Cardinal George spoke to the assembled student body. He congratulated those proudly orthodox seminarians for their devotion to the dogmatic and moral truths proposed by the Church, but he also offered some pointed pastoral advice. He said that it Read more
Forget the fancy words and deep analogies; prayer is about relationship. ‘Your strength is not in numbers, nor does your might depend upon the powerful, but you are the God of the lowly, the helper of the oppressed, the supporter of the weak, the protector of those in despair, the savior of those without hope. Read more
No one doubts Pope Francis’ pulling power, whether in St Peter’s Square or on Instagram. But the fact that people want to see and hear Francis doesn’t tell you much about the impact he is having on them, or on the wider Church. To assess the success of a pope, you have to first identify Read more
Religion can do a great job helping believers discern right from wrong. Religion can help believers relate kindly and justly to other people. And religion can stiffen the will of believers when they face unjust suffering for their faith. I was taught these things when I studied Christian ethics, and they continue to motivate me in my work Read more
Sometimes, it seems that spiritual journey is literally a road to Emmaus, a life-long walk in the company of others travelling in the same direction. While we can always look back and see where we’ve come from, we don’t know what lies ahead, but the further we go, the more we understand that all the Read more
As someone who spends a lot of his time dealing with religious statistics, it seems to be my lot in life to be the bearer of bad news. I guess that’s why I don’t get invited to any of the razzamatazziest Catholic parties. In my defence, if there is bad news, then it’s much better Read more
For many of us who strive to seriously practice faith in Jesus Christ, and to extend that practice out into the marketplace, the political square and society at large, persecution rarely means more than being ridiculed, verbally harassed, and to a certain degree socially and politically marginalized. But for so many other Christians throughout the Read more
It’s Easter, and Christians around the world are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Oddly, though, in the past few years the biggest surprises of the Easter season have come three days earlier, on Holy Thursday, the day when Christians celebrate the Last Supper. This year Pope Francis washed the feet of 12 young refugees. Traditionally, Read more