Some years ago, I regularly visited a man who was seriously ill. What made each visit memorable wasn’t just the pastoral care—it was the welcoming party that awaited me: a flock of loud, menacing geese. They would charge at me as if guarding the gates of heaven. I confess I was quietly relieved when Christmas…
Pope Leo XIV will build bridges within the Church, and prioritise the proclamation of the Gospel writes Michael Kelly The well-worn cliché about the Catholic Church is that it is an institution so deeply rooted in tradition that it is incapable of embracing change and transition. But the reality is, few global organisations in our…
“I want to give you something to remember me by.” When two friends or companions separate, words are spoken and perhaps small phrases are exchanged, or even a gift– something to keep in each other’s memory– a little memento perhaps to be worn or to be kept nearby. My younger sister proudly now wears our…
The Acts of the Apostles says that it was at Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first called “Christians”. I once heard a challenging homily where the priest asked: “If you were put on trial and accused of being a Christian, would they find enough evidence to convict you?” An interesting question, without a…
The whole concern of doctrine and its teaching must be directed to the love that never ends. That is a grand vision for life, not just something the Vatican says, writes Fr Chris Hayden. There’s nothing new about the phrase, ‘The Vatican says…’ There are, of course, many versions, such as ‘According to the Vatican,’…
Does every age get the Pope it needs and deserves writes theologian Fr Eamonn Conway A year into the pontificate of Pope Francis, Charles Chaput, then Archbishop of Philadelphia, commented, “G.K. Chesterton said that every age gets the saint it needs. Not the saint people want, but the saint they need; the saint who’s the…
Church and state were intertwined when the Emperor Constantine legalised Christianity in 313. While it meant Christians no longer were persecuted, new challenges and difficulties awaited believers. Resolution of doctrinal arguments was now a political problem as much as anything. At best, such theological clashes meant that Christians would not talk to each other and,…
Being an active Catholic is not about membership of parish groupings, but living out the faith in the world, says Fr Chris Hayden What is an ‘active’ Catholic? What is an ‘involved’ one? In Church circles, words like ‘active’ and ‘involved’ are so familiar we can easily take their meaning for granted. Let us, for…
Over the course of my lifetime, the Catholic Church has had six popes – St Paul VI, John Paul I, Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and now Pope Leo XIV. Paul VI was pope when I was born, and I cannot say that I remember the elections of either John Paul I or…
Digital evangelisation is a real thing and its happening faster than expected, Rohith Kinattukara writes As I write this article, the Pope has now reached 13.8 million followers on Instagram, taking him only 3 days to reach this number. This platform has millions of users ranging from different demographics and age groups. Pope Leo’s first ever…
Michael Kelly
Fr Ronald Rolheiser