After he and his fellow monks sang morning prayers in their church nestled in a forest, Brother Luke (pictured with pup) walked back to his residence to be greeted by a different kind of choir. Lucy and Iso excitedly woofed as they spotted the Orthodox monk, who heads the monastery’s German shepherd breeding program, coming Read more
Anyone who uses a smartphone has likely experienced the same unsettling phenomenon — a pointedly placed advertisement that seems to show up right after you’ve discussed a topic or product. Could it be true that your phone is “listening” to your private conversations? It’s a surprisingly difficult question to answer — and one that has Read more
Synodality is Pope Francis’ vision to reform the Catholic Church to ensure human equality and a rightful place for everyone in the Church, a spirit that embodies the essence of the Second Vatican Council held about 60 years ago. Vatican II affirmed that every Christian shared Christ’s role as priest, king, and prophet by virtue Read more
Czech theologian and priest Tomas Halik explains in an interview with katholisch.de why this is not the end, but just the beginning, now the second session of the World Synod in Rome is over. Mr Halik, the discussions at the second session of the World Synod have come to an end after almost four weeks. Read more
The synodal process has shown a concerning lack of rigorous theological examination of the liturgy—both its theological essence and its ritual execution—leading to debates and speculative discussions that hinder the Church’s progress. This deficiency is starkly highlighted in paragraphs 26-28 of the Synod’s Final Document. The document equates Eucharistic and synodal assemblies as manifestations of Read more
Mention the word sin these day and people can become quite prickly. Typical comments range from “There’s too much emphasis about sin”, “my sins put Jesus on the Cross”, “I’m unworthy”, “I’m a sinner” to “it’s all negative”. This guilt-based old religion mentality, ties us into a God who is tough as old boots and Read more
Gendered misconduct on the rise, female teachers scared of being “deepfaked” and parents protecting badly behaved boys: this is high school in 2024. “But what if she sent them to him first?” Devastating words from a teenager that made me shudder. I used to visit schools and give presentations about consent and respectful relationships. At Read more
I have appreciated comments you have made concerning the self-inflicted impotence of the United Nations, and so I feel sure you won’t mind hearing from one of the many New Zealanders who are distressed by what is happening in the Middle East, but who also feel a certain impotence which is why most don’t bother Read more
What does holiness look like? We are supposed to have seen it. That is the point of the Solemnity of All Saints. We acknowledge and revere those not named in the church’s canonical roster of saints, men and women who nonetheless constitute what St John the Seer called: a great multitude, which no one could Read more
Up and down again, back and forth, forwards and back again. This is how the Synod on Synodality proceeded over two long years at the round tables, above all with the explicit non-dispute over the church’s controversial issues that had been removed from it. These are serious and will determine the real significance of the Read more