Religion
-
In whose hands?
-
Quotes and news
The Vatican’s semi-official newspaper L’Osservatore Romano has stated editorially that the Coptic papyrus fragment which seems to indicate that Jesus was married is “a fake”. The papyrus fragment was introduced by Karen King of Harvard University...
-
Going global
Today’s readings: Numbers 11, 25-29; James 5, 1-6; Mk 9, 38-43.45.47-48. Celsus was a second century Greek philosopher and opponent of early Christianity. For him, the error of the Christians concerns not only what they think, but how they live.
-
Hope for the Church
-
Quotes and news
Speaking to leaders of the Christian Democrat International Pope Benedict said: “The commitment to respecting life in all its phases from conception to natural end – and the consequent rejection of abortion, euthanasia and any form of eugenics – is,...
-
Dying to self
Today’s readings: Wisdom 2, 12.17-20; James 3, 16-4, 3; Mark 9, 30-37. Humanity is going through a very delicate point in time where our true self is concerned. Religion and morality were a most important, if not unique, source of the self in the...
-
A prophet’s last words
-
Quotes and news
The Centre for Applied Research in the Apostolate said opinion studies showed that the vote of Catholics for the forthcoming US presidential election is almost evenly split between the candidates. While President Barack Obama enjoys 47 per cent of...
-
Time to be still
Today’s readings: Isaiah 50, 5-9; James 2, 14-18; Mark 8, 27-35. The answer to the God-question in life is often influenced by many other answers we give to many other questions, not least among them the question about our own identity. The way you...
-
Thank God for Church schools
-
Quotes and news
The following are extracts from the statement issued after a recent meeting in Cyprus the Council of the Episcopal Conferences of Europe: “The interpretation of subsidiarity given by European politics, seeing it as a simple work supported by the...
-
The power of connecting
Today’s readings: Isaiah 35, 4-7; James 2, 1-5; Mark 7, 31-37. Connecting with God appears to be a major challenge in our culture. Strictly speaking, connecting with God is not something we can achieve. The God we believe in is a God who himself...
-
Reaching the unredeemables
-
Quotes and news
Paolo Gabriele, the man behind Vatileaks changed his version of events during an interview on the Italian TV station La7. While originally he was saying that he had acted alone, now he is saying that he had at least 20 collaborators helping him. The...
-
Let my people grow
Today’s readings: Deut. 4, 1-2.6-8; James 1, 17-18.21-22.27; Mk 7, 1-8.14-15.21-23. Religion is about the deepest dimensions of being human. Yet there is always the tendency to render religion as having to do with trivialities in daily living. Very...
-
Social change and the Kingdom of God
-
Quotes and news
The European Court of Human Rights has decided that the rights of parents are violated by the Italian law on IVF which does not allow them to screen embryos for disease before implantation. The 2004 Italian law, considered to be one of the strictest...
-
The true faith
Today’s readings: Joshua 24, 1-2.15-18; Ephesians 5, 21-32; John 6, 60-69. The first reading from Joshua and the gospel today make us look backward and forward and ask very pertinent questions about the adequacy of the faith professed to the times...
-
Safeguarding life
-
Quotes and news
L’Osservatore Romano is editorially supporting, even praising, Cardinal Keith O’Brien of Edinburgh after he decided to break off talks with the government over the introduction of same-sex marriage in Scotland. The Vatican newpaper described...