The Catholic Church throughout the world continues to deal, country by county and at various paces, with the sexual abuse crisis. In France, the Independent Commission on Sexual Abuse in the Church (CIASE) released a shocking report last year that highlighted the systemic nature and extent of sexual abuse committed in the Church since 1950. Read more
In 1817, Lord Byron is said to have challenged an Italian cardinal to a multilingual cursing contest. The English poet reputedly opened the contest by uttering as many different imprecations as he could in the languages he had studied. Byron recalled later that he swore “in all the tongues in which I knew a single Read more
During a rally in 2019, Giorgia Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy party, quoted G K Chesterton. The English writer, theologian and heavily-mustachioed sage seemed an unlikely choice for the climax of an impassioned oration by a tiny, fiery Italian blonde. But maybe not. Chesterton was known as the “Apostle of common sense”. “Fires will Read more
Flashes of Insight looks at the sexual abuse crisis from the perspective of restorative justice; restoring what, to whom, in what manner and with what effect. This 11 minute Flashes of Insight conversation asks whether the experience for Church ministers is an opportunity for the theology of reconciliation to grow into change. It considers restorative Read more
If you’ve been paying attention to the social trends, you probably have some inkling that boys and men are struggling, in the U.S. and across the globe. They are struggling in the classroom. American girls are 14 percentage points more likely to be “school ready” than boys at age 5, controlling for parental characteristics. By Read more
This year’s stock market downturn has made people squint a little closer at how to invest their money. One key question: If I try to invest ethically, am I shortchanging myself when a crunch comes? Believe it or not, investing for profit can be considered a Catholic virtue. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops makes Read more
Last Sunday at Mass, the Parish Priest, a sensible, experienced man, mentioned that next week we’d have First Communion, and increased numbers of people were expected at Mass. Then he smiled and said: ‘We probably won’t see them again the following week, but that’s OK.’ I was pleased to hear that. It is of the Read more
In a speech on July 23, 2022, before the Conservative Political Action Committee, or CPAC, Sen. Ted Cruz introduced himself to the audience with the words, “My name is Ted Cruz and my pronoun is kiss my ass.” In 2019, the Vermont College of Fine Arts appealed to a different group. They replaced the term Read more
Listening is not a one-way process but should be a matter of mutual concern, each paying attention to the other. In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus concludes the parable of the Sower with the words, “Listen, anyone who has ears to hear”. Talking is not enough. If real communication is to occur, each has to listen to Read more
Cardinal Joseph Zen trial began on Sept. 19, 2022, in Hong Kong for his role as a trustee of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund. This organisation paid legal fees and medical bills for Hong Kongers protesting the Extradition Law Amendment Bill. This 2019 legislation would have allowed extradition to the People’s Republic of China. Many Read more