In the UK today, a young person is more likely to have a television in their bedroom than a father in their house by the end of their childhood. And even if fathers are around, their sons don’t engage with them much: boys spend 44 hours in front of a TV, smartphone or computer screen Read more
Austen Ivereigh, The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope, Allen and Unwin, London 2014. Deeply disturbing I found this book when I first read it last year and I remain disturbed. Yet everyone I have read so far has given it glowing reviews. I am confused. Most likely I am like the Read more
What does an alcoholic look like? For years I wouldn’t have said that label had anything to do with me. I am a professional mother of two who grew up associating alcohol with fun. In my early twenties, it’s what marked me out as the archetypal party girl, in my early professional life big nights Read more
Next Saturday, arguably the most important beatification of the early 21st century will be celebrated in San Salvador, El Salvador, when the late Archbishop Oscar Romero reaches the final stage before sainthood in the Catholic Church. It’s an event 35 years in the making, and it’s hard to imagine anyone with a more remarkable tale Read more
The Modern Catholic Dictionary, put together by Servant of God Father John Hardon, offers this as a definition of hypocrisy: A form of lying in which a person pretends to have virtues or moral qualities that are not possessed. Its motive is pride and its malice depends on the gravity of the pride and on Read more
“We are all responsible for the protection and care of the environment. This responsibility knows no boundaries.” “Preservation of the environment, promotion of sustainable development and particular attention to climate change are matters of grave concern for the entire human family.” “Too often, attention is diverted from the needs of populations, insufficient emphasis is placed Read more
I used to get annoyed when people would complain about the secularisation of society. I never understood why this was a problem. I used to attribute their lamentations to either a desire for a homogenous society or a desire for political power. My church offers a CD of the week from Lighthouse Catholic Media. Each Read more
After I flew back to Phoenix and claimed the keys to my new apartment, one of my first acts of settling in was to pay a visit to the Motor Vehicle Department. My passport was my only remaining valid form of identification. Rather than afflict it with new creases and sweat stains, I thought I’d Read more
Bass reverberates through the auditorium floor as a heavily bearded worship leader pauses to invite the congregation, bathed in the light of two giant screens, to tweet using #JesusLives. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafts in from the lobby, where you can order macchiatos and purchase mugs boasting a sleek church logo. The chairs Read more
I’ve recently discovered that a pornography addiction is now becoming as popular in our modern society as the common cold. It never ceases to swarm around, mercilessly infecting unsuspecting victims. A couple of weeks ago I had a good friend of mine confide in me about her and her boyfriend’s current battles with long term Read more