Three young Lebanese Muslims tried in a Tripoli court on contempt of religion charges for insulting a statue of Our Lady have been found guilty. Judge Jocelyn Matta ordered them to memorise verses from the holy Qur’an’s Surat Al-Omran. This chapter glorifies Our Lady and Jesus. One of the verses featured hails the Virgin Mary Read more
There is no more sacred place in Christianity than the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. And now you can visit it — virtually, anyway — in the nation’s capital at the interactive “Tomb of Christ” exhibit of the National Geographic Museum that unifies cutting-edge science and technology with faith. The science has been Read more
Terry and I were in a rental car in Jordan. We’d driven from Amman to the site where Moses stood to view the Promised Land. Narrow roads wound through wilderness with occasional habitation: some Bedouin tents, boys with a few sheep or goats walking behind them, a small town with a roadside stall where aromatic Read more
In 1977, work began on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel ceiling to remove 500 years of incense and candle smoke from Michelangelo’s paintings. When the chapel was opened again in 1989, not everyone was happy with the result. The colours were so bright some people saw them as gaudy, and believed Michelangelo’s masterpiece had Read more
Last week, for the first time in its history of nearly 2,000 years, the tomb (sepulchre) of Jesus was examined by archaeologists and conservationists. Never before has it been subject to scientific scrutiny. These men of science, accompanied by a group of selected priests and monks, were surprised by what they saw. Despite centuries of Read more
If you have been watching the Olympics this year, odds are you have seen the famous “Christ the Redeemer” statue that overlooks the city of Rio. It is listed as one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World” and has become one of Brazil’s most famous landmarks. Measuring 124 feet tall with an arm Read more
Advent is the story of Jesus’ birth and the beginning of Christianity; but if we also see the readings as parable, they’ll become guidance for our own journey. Step by step they’ll bring us closer to the light that cannot be held in words. In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent to a Read more
Definition of traditionalist: Noun. A person who believes that all knowledge originates in divine revelation and is perpetuated by tradition. Definition of fundamentalist: Noun. A person who believes in the strict, literal interpretation of scripture in a religion. A person who adheres strictly to the basic principles of any subject or discipline. Christ said “Do Read more
Once I believed that when you found faith, it rarely wavered. Then I learned that even saints had massive doubts about God. How reassuring. If even the holiest of the holy had second thoughts, why not me? Maybe we Catholics should talk more about doubt. It actually is an intrinsic part of the pilgrimage, a Read more
How many times in conversation do we hear ‘judge not lest you be judged’? Frequently this quotation from Christ is misapplied. When applied to gossiping or to a statement that is purely used to denigrate another it is most certainly correct. It should not however be seen as Christ saying we should not judge something Read more