The Church must confront its silence on the Middle East conflict and recognise the suffering of all victims, especially Palestinians. Addressing this is essential for maintaining moral credibility, supporting interfaith dialogue, and continuing the path set by Nostra Aetate. While global attention was focused on the U.S. elections, people continued to die in the most Read more
The year 2021 was an outlier in many respects. Much of the year was characterised by halting steps to return to something resembling normality following the global health emergency declared in 2020 over the coronavirus pandemic. There was a recession that started before COVID-19 throttled the United States and much of the world, but that Read more
Cardinal-designate Wilton Gregory, archbishop of Washington, says he wants to collaborate where possible with the Biden administration. At the same time, he says he’ll also respectfully point out situations where President-elect Joe Biden’s policies diverge from Catholic teaching. “I have always seen myself as someone who is charged with being in dialogue and in conversation, Read more
In what is being described as an epidemic of Catholic schools’ closures, the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has hit Catholic education hard. To date, more than 100 US elementary and high schools have announced they are closing down. The Catholic schools’ closures are affecting parish schools and those run by religious orders. “It’s not a pretty Read more
Last year I was knocked to the ground and pinned down by an assailant who held his hand over my mouth. I cried out, “I can’t breathe!” About 30 long seconds later he finally let me go. As I reflect on the heartbreaking deadly scene of a Minneapolis police officer pressing his knee into George Read more
Child sexual abuse in the United States is at epidemic levels. More than 60,000 children are reported to have been abused every year, outnumbering those killed by guns or cars. Those who survive are often left not only with physical wounds, but also with psychological wounds that may never heal. These wounds exact both a Read more
Anti-Semitic incidents have been increasing for some time in the US – and the recent shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue is an example of an ongoing problem. It surfaces often in the research conducted by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks various U.S. hate groups, including neo-Nazis, white nationalists, skinheads and others. “They’re all Read more
The Pope’s popularity is dropping in the United States while conservative opposition to his papacy is rising, according to a Pew Research Centre survey. The January survey canvassed 1,503 Americans. Twenty percent of those surveyed are Catholic. The survey found a third of respondents think Pope Francis is “too liberal” while one-quarter considered him “too Read more
America’s newest cathedral, the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, was dedicated last Saturday. Over 1,000 parishioners joined five cardinals, 21 bishops, more than 100 priests, 58 deacons and 39 men and women religious at the dedication Mass. Read more
US vice president Mike Pence has responded to public mockery of his faith in Christ as a “mental illness”. His sanity as a believer was initially called into question by Omarosa Manigault-Newman, a disgruntled ex-staffer of President Trump. She used her status as a “Celebrity Big Brother” contestant to insinuate Pence suffers from mental illness. Read more