Following in the footsteps of some Council Fathers in 1965, a group of participants in the Synod on the Amazon visited the Catacombs of Domitilla to reaffirm the preferential option for the poor. On 16 November 1965, just a few days before the closing of the Second Vatican Council, 42 Council Fathers celebrated Mass in the Catacombs of Domitilla, to ask God for the grace 'to be fait...
As the Synod on Amazonia in Rome heads into its third and final week, there was a Laudato Si' Prayer Walk on Sunday to inaugurate the week of 'Integral Ecology'. Columban Father Peter Hughes writes from the Synod:
Greetings from Rome and a note beginning the final week of this extraordinary Synod. The perennial question arises: are we on the threshold of some real, significant ch...
Peace campaigner Bruce Kent, was presented with the Sean McBride award by Philip Jennings from the International Peace Bureau at a special ceremony at St Thomas' Hospital in London on Saturday. Among the attendees were Kate Hudson, director of CND, Theresa Alessandro, director of Pax Christi, Lisa Clark and Reiner Braun Co-Presidents of the IPB. Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire and previous Sean ...
Gospel of 21st October 2019 - Luke 12: 13-21 A man in the crowd said to Jesus, 'Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.' 'My friend,' he replied, 'who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?' Then he said to them, 'Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for a man's life is not made secure by what he owns, even when he has mo...
The Catholic Education Service (CES) has expressed concern over proposed changes to RE and Relationship and Sex Education in Wales, in the following statement:
High quality Religious Education is essential for producing well rounded, religiously literate young people. In a similar respect, well taught Relationship and Sex Education plays a vital role in preparing children for l...
At 10 this morning, XXIX Sunday of Ordinary Time, in the Vatican Basilica, Pope Francis celebrated Holy Mass for World Mission Sunday, as part of the Extraordinary Missionary Month. The full homily text follows:
From the readings I would like to pick up three words: a noun, a verb and an adjective. The noun is the mountain: Isaiah speaks of it, prophesying of a mountain of the L...
A Solemn Pontifical Mass in honour of St John Henry Newman was celebrated by Cardinal Cardinal Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, on Thursday, 17 October. Father Ignatius Harrison, Provost of the Birmingham Oratory delivered the following homily:
1. Divine providence helped John Henry Newman to follow Saint Philip's Neri's admonition to those who wished to become holy: be humbl...
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time
"Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Lk 18:7,8)
One of the hallmarks of an authentic Christian life is to try and act accor...
One of the joys of being a Trinidad & Tobago citizen, is the fact that we have learned over the years to embrace and respect the rich diversity of our people who have come to TT from many parts of the world - not as empty vessels, but with their different cultures, traditions, religions, languages and so on. This diversity is a source of strength.
As I wrote in a book on tourism years...
Gospel of 19th October 2019 - Luke 12: 8-12 Jesus said to his disciples:
'I tell you, if anyone openly declares himself for me in the presence of men, the Son of Man will declare himself for him in the presence of the angels. But the man who disowns me in the presence of men will be disowned in the presence of God's angels.
'Everyone who says a w...
Synod participants have been examining a variety of issues in their 'circuli minores'. They shared the fruit of their discussions at a Vatican press conference on Friday. Sr Daniela Adriana Cannavina, Secretary General of CLAR in Colombia, opened the press conference by summarising some of the proposals that emerged in her small working group. These include the need to renew and s...
Operation Noah is currently looking for an enthusiastic and motivated person with a strong campaigning background and excellent communication skills to join us at a crucial moment in the campaign for fossil free Churches. Could this be you?
We are looking for a Campaign Officer to work on our Church divestment campaign, Bright Now. This is a freelance role, working four days per week in o...
The Apostolic Administrator of Hong Kong, Cardinal John Tong Hon, has urged increasingly-violent demonstrators to regain their inner peace and carry out protests peacefully.
Cardinal Tong sent his appeal in an open letter to local citizens last Friday. The Cardinal said he was deeply pained by the worsening situation in the city.
He acknowledges he is not a politician, and so decli...
On 29 September, the community of Coventry came together to hold a Creation Celebration - a special event where people celebrate the environment - after receiving a prestigious award for sustainable living.
The local parish, Sacred Heart Catholic Parish in Coventry was transformed for their Creation Celebration after the parish was presented with the LiveSimply award.
Organised by v...
