If a sociologist from Mars were to come down to earth to study popular religion in Italy, the conclusion might easily be that the Christian “Holy Trinity” in il bel paese is not actually composed of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but rather of God, the Virgin Mary, and Padre Pio. Looking Read more
In a Lenten message strong on mercy, Pope Francis has warned the wealthy and powerful that if they ignore the poor, they risk hell. The Pope’s message for Lent 2016 warned about the corrupting influence of money and power. And it pointing out that caring for the poor, and not just praying for them, is Read more
Last Friday, the day the massive “March for Life” rally barely beat the blizzard to Washington DC, I heard a homily during Mass at Boston College that both surprised and encouraged me. Jesuit priest Peter Folan told a story about a couple seeking counsel from a priest, any priest, whoever happened to be in the Read more
Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of the Basilica of St John Lateran in Rome on Sunday, saying doing so was an “invitation to joy”. On the same day Holy Doors were opened throughout cathedrals and churches around the world to mark the start of the Year of Mercy. Pope Francis celebrated Mass at the Read more
The Vatican has denied reports that the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was involved in financial irregularities. Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi, SJ, confirmed investigations were being carried out in the CDF, led by Cardinal Gerhard Müller But the spokesman denied the cardinal’s involvement in any wrong-doing. “The superiors of Read more
Pope Francis has described God as “both father and mother”. In an interview with the magazine Credere, the Pope explained his decision to call a Jubilee Year of Mercy. The Jubilee Year might help the faithful to recognise “the maternal dimension of God”, the Pope observed. He explained that he was speaking of “the tenderness, typical Read more
A US archbishop has put the collapse of evangelical life in some European churches down to certain pastoral practices on the sacraments. In an article to be published in the journal First Things next month, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia criticised pastoral approaches that ignore the call to conversion. He wrote about divorced and civilly Read more
A newly appointed archbishop in Belgium has said “mercy” seems somewhat condescending and he prefers terms like “respect” and “esteem for man”. Archbishop Jozef De Kesel of Mechelen-Brussels reportedly told Kerknet that the Church should not be marking time after the synod on the family. “Mercy is an important word for me, but in one Read more
We have heard a lot about (the new) mercy during the past months, and with respect to the (sometimes strange and surprising) topics discussed at the Extraordinary Synod on the Family. The remarks of some of the participants in the debates gave the impression that the insistence on truth—and on justice based on truth—is indicative Read more
A US archbishop has said the Church must respect the decisions divorced and remarried people make in good conscience about their spiritual lives. Speaking to media at the synod on the family in Rome, Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich said he had always respected the inviolability of people’s consciences. “I try to help people along the Read more