Legions of female church workers at every level in parishes and chanceries, at episcopal conferences — and even at the Vatican — welcomed and welcome Pope Francis’ efforts to eliminate clericalism. The general perception that “they” (clerics) do not need “us” (women) seems to be fading. Or is it? The great diversity of the “church Read more
Pope Francis is a patient pastor. Until he isn’t. His new apostolic letter, Traditionis Custodes, in which Francis communicates “the firm decision to abrogate all the norms, instructions, permissions and customs that precede the present [document] and declare that the liturgical books promulgated by the saintly Pontiffs Paul VI and John Paul II … constitute Read more
One of the most interesting developments of the social media age is that people are able to find like-minded individuals easily and anonymously. While that anonymity is not without its downsides, one of its real benefits is that people can express who they really are and what they really think about a variety of issues. Read more
People on the edges are what the Church sacrifices most today Elizabeth Young RSM told the conversation on Flashes of Insight. She describes these people as ‘lost opportunities’. Young, a pastoral worker who once worked in a large diocese, says that city dioceses, hospitals, schools and parish communities are generally well resourced and have good Read more
One of the fastest-growing religious affiliations, or more accurately disaffiliations, is the large number of people who declare themselves to be former Catholics. Departures from the Church are especially pronounced among the young but are not limited to them. In places like Australia, France, Germany and increasingly in the United States, which for many years Read more
Pope Francis seems to be recovering nicely from his July 4 surgery, when the 84-year-old pontiff underwent a three-hour procedure for diverticular stenosis. But even with the best prognosis, age is catching up to Francis. Barring a miracle, he will only be expected to continue as pope for five or six years. We may look Read more
One autumn evening four years ago, Ivan Bender, a Hualapai man in his mid-50s, took a walk with his fluffy brown-and-white Pomeranian, Sierra Mae, to check on the ranchland he tends. Nestled in western Arizona’s Big Sandy River Valley, the ranch protects Ha’ Kamwe’ — hot springs that are sacred to the Hualapai and known Read more
Your fridge may be full of nourishment for the body, but it’s possible that the outside of the door holds some food for the soul. Does your fridge door, like mine, collect sayings that become little teachings fastened by magnets? And do those teachings increase to find space in other parts of the house? I’d Read more
Frank Luntz is no ordinary pollster and professional reader of the political runes. In 2005, his research for the BBC’s Newsnight identified the young David Cameron’s appeal to the public as a potential Conservative leader. The following year, the Connecticut-born consultant sent a wave of turbulence coursing through the Labour conference in Manchester with his Read more
In the last two months, over 1,000 unmarked graves of Indigenous children at four residential schools have been discovered in Canada: 182 at St. Eugene’s Mission School and 215 at Kamloops Indian Residential School (British Columbia), 104 at Brandon Indian Residential School (Manitoba), and up to 751 at Marieval Indian Residential School(Saskatchewan). And there will Read more