Pope Francis opened a meeting of bishops at the Vatican by warning that the Catholic church needs to put aside “political calculations or ideological battles” and welcome “everyone” to dialogue about the faith. During Mass at St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff said the church is a place of welcome for “everyone, everyone, everyone” ahead of a three-week series of meetings that has sparked hope among progressives and alarm from conservatives.
Read MoreIn a move that would signal a seismic shift for the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said he’s open to blessing same-sex unions and to studying the possibility of ordaining women to the priesthood. The comments came in a letter the pope penned in response to five cardinals who had written to him expressing concern about a number of issues that are expected to be discussed at a meeting of bishops starting Wednesday at the Vatican.
Read More(REVIEW) The film follows two parallel stories: One of Mother Teresa’s mission from God to serve the poor and needy in India; the other a young Indian-British woman named Kavita with a secret connection to Mother Teresa whose life is turned upside down when she finds out she’s pregnant. Mother Teresa’s story is so powerful that there is still stuff of value for those who do watch it. This film fails, however, because it tries to make her more relevant to modern audiences, but is too burdened by a mountain of cliches and bad theology to truly succeed.
Read More(EXPLAINER) The next phase in the high-anticipated Vatican gathering of bishops known as the Synod of Synodality starts on Oct. 4. The first phase of this global gathering is the culmination of two years of preparation. Over the past two years, much has been said about synodality and what it aims to do for Catholicism.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Another week and yet another headline about Pope Francis feuding with a doctrinally conservative American prelate. It’s become an all-too-common story and one that the legacy media often can’t resist.
Read MoreCatholics in Kenya commemorated the life of American missionary John Anthony Kaiser, a Catholic priest and human rights defender. He was particularly vocal in condemning politically motivated tribal clashes during the 1990s and whose assassination in the year 2000 shocked the country.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It’s been quite some time since a story involving a major figure or incident in the Catholic Church was covered by both the mainstream and religious press. The story in question at the moment involves disgraced ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, one of the most influential Catholic prelates of the past half century on both sides of the Atlantic.
Read MoreEgypt’s holiest monastery is now also home to one of the largest statues of Mary in the world. Located at the Virgin Mary Monastery in the village of Durunka, some 250 miles from the capital, Cairo, the statue stands at 28 feet in height atop a 46-foot pedestal.
Read MoreEl pueblo argentino tiene una serie de figuras notables a las que más admiran y veneran. Estas incluyen a los ídolos del fútbol Diego Maradona y Lionel Messi, la activista y política Eva Perón y la estrella del tango Carlos Gardel. Una notable ausencia en esa lista en estos días es la del papa Francisco.
Read More(ANALYSIS) While this pontiff has been a divisive figure in the Catholic Church (especially in the United States and Western Europe), Francis’ popularity in his homeland is also waning. It’s a departure from the fervor of a decade ago when Jorge Bergoglio, the cardinal of Buenos Aires, was elected pope. Much of the country celebrated. These days, Francis generates divided opinions.
Read More(OPINION) Men who have been affected by abortion are a neglected voice in the abortion debate. It is an oft-repeated mantra that men need therapy — and new research shows that this may be especially true for men experiencing grief after abortion and disenfranchisement of their pain.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I have found it healthy and important to watch Fox News and read The New York Times. Both are highly influential in their respective partisan bubbles. Both impact the world around us, for better or worse, and that’s of great importance in a world were journalistic objectivity is a relic of a pre-internet world.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This “religiosity gap” remains relevant. A new Pew Research Center analysis noted that, in the 2022 midterms, “The gap in voting preferences by religious attendance was as wide as it's been in any of the last several elections.”
Read More(OPINION) The need for after-abortion healing resulted in many groups taking on this critical work in the 1990s. Organizations such as Project Rachel, Rachel’s Vineyard, Forgiven and Set Free, SaveOne and Surrendering the Secret have since helped countless women and men begin their healing journeys.
Read More(REVIEW) “The Miracle Club,” about four women from small-town Ireland who make the pilgrimage to Lourdes, is almost a miracle itself. It’s been in the works for nearly two decades and was filmed in only 21 days. Its screenplay is smart and engaging, exploring Christianity, family, confronting the past and womanhood.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Joseph Henrich, a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University, has written a theory of how the Western mind and cultures became exceptional. He has coined the acronym WEIRD (for Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic) to describe the features of this.
Read More(REVIEW) The encore performance at Christ Cathedral of “Fiat Lux” was billed as “Pacific Symphony & Pacific Chorale in concert with Paul Jacobs,” and the opening pieces were programmed to additionally celebrate the refurbishment of the cathedral’s Hazel Wright Organ, the fifth-largest pipe organ in the world.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Sotomayor’s dissent poses an interesting inquiry, regardless of one’s personal opinion of where the court should have landed on affirmative action: Does the Constitution uphold the spiritual and religious freedom of faith-based higher education institutions to engage in holistic, race-conscious admissions practices as an expression of their sincerely held institutional religious beliefs?
Read More(ANALYSIS) The pope’s recent appointment of Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernandez as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has been a very big story this month. The appointment could influence the future direction of the church and Pope Francis’ legacy. This pontiff very much wants to leave a lasting impression on the global church, in part acting through the upcoming synod, and Fernandez could help shape it.
Read More(REVIEW) Joseph Lovett’s “Children of the Inquisition” is a feature length documentary exploring the worldwide Sephardic diaspora and recounting the history of various Jewish families seeking refuge during the Spanish Inquisition.
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