Every day, massive floods of information flow around us, inviting us to choose which samples to consume. Those who publish this information claim to be telling us what is happening in the world, but in our wiser moments we remember to question whether they are offering us the truth. From experience, we know that the Read more
Catholic bullying is spreading. In the latest example of a bully is Minnesota Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire organisation threatened Commonweal magazine and theologian Massimo Faggioli over Faggioli’s April 22 essay, “Will Trumpism Spare Catholicism?” The commotion is too weird to behold. Sticks and stones It began like all schoolyard fights. Barron, or someone Read more
Frustrations are running deep among international law enforcement agencies and regional governments over their limited abilities to cope with human trafficking and organized crime rings. These crime rings have revolutionised an industry that turns ordinary citizens into slaves. Trillion-dollar industry Interpol says human trafficking and scam compounds in Southeast Asia are worth more than US$3 Read more
Since the mid-2000s, the fastest-growing religious group in America has been the so-called nones. The percentage of Americans who claim no religious affiliation nearly doubled from 2007 (16 percent) to 2022 (31 percent). They’re becoming a force in American culture and one of the largest segments of the religious landscape, according to Pew Research. Waning Read more
Specialising in the relationship between democracy and religion, Philippe Portier, a French academic professor and political scientist, is not surprised that secularised France is so interested in rebuilding Notre Dame Cathedral in the nation’s capital. “The interest aroused in France by the restoration of Notre Dame is very telling,” he explained to OSV News. Identity Read more
On 2 May, the Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa ordained Angelic Molen as its first modern deaconess in a church near Harare in Zimbabwe. The Western media has gone a bit mad, calling it “breaking with tradition” and a radical new step forward. Ordaining women deacons The usual suspects have trotted out the Read more
According to a 25-year analysis of global conflicts and arms transfers conducted by the World Peace Foundation (WPF) titled “Who arms War?” all of the largest arms exporting nations continue to sell their weapons to countries even after wars start. It’s akin to pouring gasoline on a fire. “Ethical export policy is a myth,” states Read more
The Week of Christian Unity, the church celebrated this week, supports an unfashionable cause. It encourages the healing of divisions between churches. Divisions rule In culture, politics and religion, however, division provides most of the news of the day. The religious headlines emphasise fractures within churches. They tell of discrepancy between the professed values of Read more
Sian didn’t set out to become celibate – at least not to begin with. At the tail end of 2021, freshly single and out of a 100-day lockdown, the 27-year-old was in a delicate headspace. Tapping into the sex-go-round For Sian, the dating apps had become an obsessive regime in curating profiles and swiping endlessly. Read more
In a society fascinated by the supernatural, it is important to focus on authentic faith rather than being swayed by extraordinary signs and wonders. So says Joachim Bouflet, a historian and specialist in mystical phenomena. “The mystical search is not noisy; it plays out in the most intimate places. We do not need to accumulate Read more