“I believe that this profound human thirst for infinite happiness, which we all feel at times, is the most real thing there is. To hope for it is to live in the real world,” insists Timothy Radcliffe, the former Master of the Dominican Order (1992-2001) who is now a best-selling spiritual writer and preacher. Pope Read more
In a heartfelt message, Pope Francis has called upon young people to become beacons of hope in a world struggling with conflict, suffering and desolation. “When we think of human tragedies, especially the suffering of the innocent, we too can echo some of the Psalms and ask the Lord ‘Why?’ At the same time however, Read more
When I was in Rome during the second week of the Synod on synodality, I had the opportunity to talk with some of the participants. Every single one of them offered encouraging words of hope. But if one wants to know what is happening at this synodal assembly, those words of hope are pretty much Read more
When the Holy Father asked me to give this retreat, I felt enormously honoured but nervous. I am deeply aware of my personal limitations. I am old – white – a Westerner – and a man! I don’t know which is worse! All of these aspects of my identity limit my understanding. So I ask Read more
We come to this Synod with conflicting hopes. But this need not be an insuperable obstacle. We are united in the hope of the Eucharist, a hope which embraces and transcends all that we long for. But there is another source of tension. Our understandings of the Church as our home sometimes clash. Every living Read more
Pope Francis has stressed the importance of hope as the foundation for addressing the crises faced by Europe, particularly among the younger generation. “Hope needs to be restored to our European societies, especially to the new generations” he told people gathered in St Peter’s Square for his weekly general audience on September 27. “In fact, Read more
In my ministry with LGBTQ people, I sometimes meet people who feel profoundly, even paralysingly, discouraged by the lack of forward movement in the Church. Even when something positive happens in the Church, they will say, “Not enough!” or “Too little, too late.” In his opening address to the Second Vatican Council, Pope St. John Read more
Pope Francis on Sunday told Mongolian Catholics that only love can truly satisfy our hearts’ thirst. In his historic first visit to Mongolia, the pope spoke to about 2,000 people at Ulaanbaatar’s Steppe Arena and emphasised God’s presence in difficult times. Francis drew parallels with life in Mongolia, where about 30% of the land is Read more
Most Americans understand the Bible as a rulebook for how to live your life, but fewer think of it as a hymnal. Yet the long history of American—mostly Protestant—hymnody, set to the cadence of the King James Bible, is embedded in our collective religious consciousness. (Think Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic” or Read more
When Mary Goulding first awoke from 12 days in a coma following a horrific car accident in late-May, her first thought was, “what am I doing here? I have basketball training to get to”. Soon after, as the reality of her situation emerged, the mindset shifted. That’s when she realised how lucky she was just Read more