One of the Vatican’s top canon lawyers at the Synod of Bishops on the Family says the current process for the annulment of marriages in the Catholic Church could be streamlined and expanded to the benefit of very many people whose marriages have broken down. This could be one of the positive fruits of the Read more
By most accounts, Pope Francis wants the synod on the family to be a messy, earnest affair — high on dialogue and low on posturing. By most accounts, Pope Francis wants the synod on the family to be a messy, earnest affair — high on dialogue and low on posturing. The Oct. 5-19 extraordinary Synod Read more
The impetus for CathNews NZ and Pacific came from a Jesuit! Michael Kelly SJ, established Jesuit Communications in Australia and he’s also responsible for setting up Eureka Street and CathNews Australia. Mick is now the Executive Director of UCANews.com, the leading independent Catholic news source in Asia. One day, while working with him at UCANews.com he posed the Read more
An interview with Cardinal André Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris, one of the three presidents of the Synod on the Family. La Croix: The synod was preceded by a questionnaire sent to the parishes. Were you surprised by the influx of replies from local churches? Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois: Yes, I was. There was very little time Read more
On Sunday, Pope Francis convenes a special type of meeting of bishops — one held only two other times — meant to start a frank debate about the church’s teachings and practices with which Catholics seem to most disagree, struggle with and ignore: family, marriage and sexuality. The Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Read more
Are science and religion fundamentally at odds? Many well-known astronomers and astrophysicists think so, including Stephen Hawking, who in a recent interview said, “Before we understood science, it was natural to believe that God created the universe, but now science offers a more convincing explanation… I’m an atheist.” Other astronomers see no fundamental incompatibility between Read more
Although they have been common throughout history, prohibitions against incest (sexual relations between blood relatives) have become increasingly difficult to understand and defend. In part, this is a result of a misunderstanding. We often think that the primary reason to ban incest is to prevent genetic abnormalities or other harm to children who might be Read more
What is Hajj? The annual Hajj pilgrimage is one of the world’s largest gatherings, as hundreds of thousands of people flock to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to participate in one of Islam’s five pillars of faith. Muslims from all over the world will gather together for five days to pray as one community, celebrating their history Read more
It’s rare on this program that we get to listen to a conversation between two prominent spiritual teachers. Earlier this year, in Northern California, producer Kate Olson sat in on just such an event. Jack Kornfield is a prominent Buddhist leader. David Steindl-Rast is a well-known Christian, a Benedictine monk. Their topic was living gratefully. Read more
For as far back as I can remember, I have been preoccupied with what it will be like to die. As a girl, I would often zone out on my bed, or at my desk in school, imagining that I was on the verge of death, and trying on a range of possible reactions: terror, Read more