If you think the fact that women in the UK are paid only 90p for every £1 earned by a man was depressing, then buckle up. New research has revealed that the gender pay gap begins earlier than most of us could have imagined: in childhood. “This report is the product of two of our Read more
My granddaughter was young and it was her first orchestral concert. Everything was exciting for her – the programme, the crowd, the musicians walking onto the stage. Then those players started tuning their instruments; the concert hall filled with discordant noise. My granddaughter thought this was the first item. The pain on her face was Read more
I always tried to give Cardinal George Pell the benefit of the doubt, which is why it is so disappointing to find out that the Australian prelate, who died January 10, was the author of a memorandum attacking Pope Francis. The memo, published on a Vatican blog last March under the pseudonym “Demos,” was circulated Read more
In 1987, the Court of Appeal came up with “principles of the Treaty” as part of its findings in the “Lands” case. The principles were based on the assumption that the two Treaty texts were not translations of each other and didn’t convey the same meaning. Therefore, the court felt free to explore what the Read more
Even before his funeral Mass got underway on January 5, there were already calls to declare Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI santo subito, in a repetition of what happened at the death of John Paul II. This could be simply a déjà vu, repeating what happened almost 18 years ago. But looking at the larger historical context Read more
Some popes go out with a bang. The announcement of Pope John Paul II’s death in 2005 reverberated around the world, and in Rome, locals will tell you that his funeral was the biggest one in memory: Cars were abandoned mid traffic, as mobs rushed toward St Peter’s Basilica. An estimated 3 million faithful lined Read more
When Pope Benedict XVI retired in 2013 — the first pontiff to do so in 600 years — the church had no rules for what a retired pope’s role would be or even what he would be called. After Benedict’s resignation, his papal seal and fisherman’s ring were wisely broken, as would have happened if Read more
The cardinals who voted for Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger at the 2005 papal conclave believed they were electing the smartest man in the room. Just as Plato believed that a philosopher king would be the best ruler, they thought that a brilliant theologian would be the best pope. The church is still debating the cardinals’ wisdom. Read more
December 31st was not just the death of Benedict XVI. It was also the death of a fragile truce that has existed the past decade between two factions inside the Vatican and the worldwide Catholic hierarchy — one yoked to the now-deceased former pope (Joseph Ratzinger) and the other tethered to Pope Francis (Jorge Bergoglio). Read more
December tends to be the busiest month of the year, but beneath the advertising, shopping, tinsel, and Christmas trees, there is a profound stillness. The Christ child is sleeping in the arms of his mother. The silence that gathers around them ushers in a new world. Mary is not aware of this, but we who Read more