Catholic Herald interviews John Cleese: How does it feel to give an interview to a Catholic publication? John Cleese (pictured): “The question slightly amuses me, but I see why I’m being asked that. “I do have a very mixed view of the Catholic Church, because I think what happens to most religions is that after Read more
Despite renewed discussions in Cairo between Israel and Hamas, as well as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s mention of a “last chance” negotiation, the hope for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip continues to fade. Once again, it seems that the negotiations, which resumed August 21 in Cairo, are likely to fail. During the Read more
Many Catholics were hasty to assume that the opening ceremony of the Olympics went out of its way to “mock” the Last Supper. The instant outrage the tableau aroused — right or wrong — tells a larger story about something that has happened in Catholic life across the last four decades. But it has not Read more
Wherever they have been sent in the world, Jesuits have made important contributions not only in pastoral ministry and education, but also in the scientific disciplines. This was the case in India and is still the case today. While not directly involved in the environmental field, in recent years Jesuits have increasingly taken initiatives in Read more
It seems like every other day, there’s a new story about young people drifting away from the Catholic Church. But why? They’re not just disagreeing on a few things, as young people’s view of the world is changing, including the places where they invest their time and faith. Today, we’re looking at 25 reasons why Read more
Pope Francis has made perfectly clear that he is opposed to ordaining women as deacons. Although I disagree with him, I accept that we are not going to see women deacons during his pontificate. But if Francis or anyone else opposes ordaining women deacons, there is a simple solution: stop ordaining anyone as deacons, and Read more
The role of religion and politics has always been controversial in America, from its inception to the present day. Many of the original colonies were founded by religious communities looking for a place where they could practice their faith. Sadly, too many of them once established then persecuted those who did not share their faith. Read more
Today marks 75 years since the adoption of the Geneva Conventions on August 12 1949. In theory, these rules of war are universally agreed by every nation. In practice, they are routinely violated everywhere. With an estimated 120 armed conflicts worldwide, more than 450 armed groups and 195 million people living in areas under their Read more
Hard cases, as the famous legal maxim holds, make bad law. The Vatican served up a reminder of the point this week with a new “little end-of-life lexicon,” which not-so-subtly amends an earlier Vatican ruling on the issue of withdrawing artificial nutrition and hydration from chronically ill patients 17 years ago. New end-of-life lexicon The Read more
The Vatican’s top diplomat cautioned against actions that would escalate conflict in the Middle East in a Monday morning phone call with Iran’s new president. Cardinal Pietro Parolin’s Aug. 12 conversation with President Masoud Pezeshkian was well-timed. Iran is widely believed to be preparing to attack Israel following the July 31 assassination of Hamas political Read more