In the history of the papacy, Benedict XVI marks a caesura or a break, something quite ironic, given the fact that many traditionalist Catholics identify his pontificate with the “hermeneutics of continuity”. This caesura is not only tied to his decision in 2013 to voluntarily resign the papal office but even more so to the Read more
I’m ashamed to say that I almost never interact with poor people. I like to think that I care, that I humanise the issue in my mind, that I don’t ignore it like so many do. But the truth is I am guilty of not caring — of failing to be touched by the humanity Read more
A couple of weeks ago I was caught up in a conversation with a group of people which left me wondering if they had really grasped the Good News of the Gospel at all. Their point of the conversation was all about sin and how dreadful the world is and what sinners we are. To Read more
There is only one thing missing in the movement to reform the reforms says Eugene Kennedy: “the fuel of neurotic guilt” needed to make people feel bad even about being good. Catholicism has always made room for forgiveness and offered comfort to sinners. There are “reformers of the reform” who present a distortion of the church’s humane Read more
Giving up a bad habit for Lent may make you feel less guilty or cleanse your soul if you are religious. This is the outcome of a University of Queensland research that identifies some self-inflicted pain helps ease the psychological burden of immoral behaviour. Researchers wanted to test the hypothesis that people seek out pain Read more