On my regular walks around my neighbourhood, I pass by a property where two large dogs live. If they are running free on the fenced property, they come up to the gate, relaxed, curious, and quietly watch until I pass. It is a different scenario should they be tethered on their chains. As I approach, Read more
Follow your conscience, not your ego, said Pope Francis in an Angelus address in which he said Jesus does not want “remote-controlled” Christians who are not free. He gave the example of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, as a model of attention to the voice of one’s conscience. “When the Lord had made it clear, in Read more
Pope Francis has criticised people who masquerade as Christians, either rejecting the challenge of the Gospel or rejecting the joy and freedom the Holy Spirit gives. “In the history of the Church there have been two classes of Christians: Christians of words — those who say, ‘Lord, Lord, Lord’ — and Christians of action, in Read more
The world’s governments must give “absolute priority” to the fundamental human rights of refugees, a new Vatican document declares. The strongly worded document, entitled Welcoming Christ in Refugees and Forcibly Displaced Persons, was released jointly by the Pontifical Council for Migrants and the Pontifical Council Cor Unum. It says Catholic laity have an obligation to Read more
Forty years ago modern contraception was sold to women as part of a liberation package: at last they would be in control of their fertility and their lives. The pill was their passport to fewer children, economic independence and, as it soon appeared, the kind of sexual freedom that previously only men had enjoyed. Already, Read more
Restrictions on religion are on the rise according to the new Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life study. Increased restraints on religious activity were now more noticeable in 23 countries, however restrictions were released in another 12 countries, the study showed. The study also shows intolerant countries growing more hostile to religious freedom, and Read more
The South African Catholic Bishops’ Conference is urging reforms in Swaziland, calling sub-Saharan Africa’s last absolute monarchy a police state that is “tearing itself apart.” A statement issued Thursday after the bishops visited Swaziland said the king should lift a state of emergency that has been in place for nearly four decades, reinstate “the full Read more