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As the U.S. Catholic bishops gather in Baltimore to discuss controversial issues such as clerical sexual abuse and racism, some people are talking about the threat of schism. History shows that the possibility of schism is always present, but the odds against schism today are high. First, in order to have a schism, you need Read more
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Dear brothers in Christ, shepherds, fellow pilgrims, We address you as you approach this year’s national meeting in Baltimore because we know there is nowhere left to hide. It’s over. All the manipulations and contortions of the past 33 years, all the attempts to deflect and equivocate — all of it has brought the church, Read more
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In the Freddie Mercury biopic, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” there’s a scene in which a family member scolds Mercury. “So now the family name is not good enough for you?” “I changed it legally,” Mercury responds. “No looking back.” It might come as a surprise to some that Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara. He came from Read more
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Some are cautiously looking forward to it with hopeful expectations. Others are fearing it with dread and despair. It’s the upcoming reform and restructuring of the Roman Curia. As Massimo Faggioli recently pointed out, it could be one of the most significant structural changes Pope Francis makes in a determined effort — contested by some Read more
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Father Lawrence Lew is a Dominican friar who has been dedicated to photography for many years. His photos have not only been featured in several international newspapers and magazines, but they have also helped many people meet Christ on their journey of faith. First steps in photography Lawrence was born into a Protestant family in Read more
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The New Zealand Wars (1845–72) had a decisive influence over the course of the nation’s history. Yet Pākehā have not always cared to remember them in anything approaching a robust manner, engaging at different times either in elaborate myth-making that painted the wars as chivalrous and noble or, when that was no longer tenable, actively choosing to ignore them Read more
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Six years ago, at the age of 26, Laila Talo Khuder Alali was sold as a sex slave eight times to men of different nationalities by militants of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Standing in a hotel auditorium in India’s commercial hub of Mumbai to receive an award in the name of St. Read more
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There is nothing intrinsically holy about a “16 Weeks to Marathon” spreadsheet, GPS watches or the neon accents of running shoes. But, for a certain class of runners, there is no denying the spirituality of the long run. There are no pews, steeples or chapels in this church. It is a social movement complete with Read more
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Two parallel fences line either side of the Tijuana river. The southernmost barrier roughly marks the international boundary between the United States and Mexico, between San Diego, Calif., and Tijuana, Baja California. The area is patrolled 24/7 by US Border Patrol agents in SUV’s and helicopters. Cameras monitor the area to spot anyone who might Read more
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There was a big magnolia tree in the retreat grounds, white cup-shaped flowers that poured out fragrance on us as we made our way to the chapel. We would stop on the path under that tree, to breathe it in. We didn’t think of the pause as prayer, but that’s what it was. On the Read more
