Sometimes it’s hard to believe that it has been five years since the dreary rainswept evening when the little-known Archbishop of Buenos Aires appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica having just been elected as Pope Francis. Dressed in a simple white cassock and introducing himself to the world with an almost faltering buona…

The Church doesn’t exist for itself – it exists to serve the world. It may seem like the most obvious of things to say, but too often we cling to old structures and patterns of behaviours that have long since outlived their usefulness as if they are things that matter in and of themselves. The…

Often the Church is accused of holding up difficult ideals while not acting to help people try to achieve these ideals. The charge is, of course, false – helping others is of the essence of Christianity. Often you’ll hear people who are supporting of the campaign to remove the right to life of unborn children…

There is growing disquiet within the Church about Pope Francis’ handling of allegations of clerical sexual abuse. Shortly after his appointment, Francis won widespread praise for setting up the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. It was a bold statement of intent that the Argentine Pontiff was intent on ensuring that the global Church…

The starting pistol has been fired on the referendum on whether or not to give politicians the power to legislate to provide for abortion on demand. Truth be told, the battle started a long time ago – a media largely sympathetic with the push for wider access to abortion has been engaged in ‘softening up’…

Though its critics may never acknowledge it (or even believe it), the Catholic Church is the world’s leading advocate for the marginalised and the vulnerable – an enemy of unjust discrimination, and a pioneer in healthcare and education. Whether it is standing up for the poor and homeless or the unborn and those nearing the…