Viewpoint

On the surface, life in Britain goes on much as it ever did, with periodic political or media eruptions which disappear as quickly as they erupt. Organisations at micro (families) and macro (institutions, companies) pursue their enduring priorities with their ups and down, pleasures and frustrations. But beneath the surface, unnoticed by many, a deadly stain is spreading, a stain that is inexorabl... Read More

The sigh of relief on 21 July when Jo Biden stepped down as Democrat presidential candidate was deafening. Within less than a fortnight the Democrats nominated Vice-President Kamala Harris to replace the outgoing President with ratification to take place at their 19 August National Convention. After intense consultations, at a Philadelphia rally on 6 August Harris presented Minnesota Governor, Ti... Read More

David Benjamin Blower writes in Passio: For many centuries, voluntary poverty was the mark of revolutionary movements of all kinds, not just religious orders "Have courage, poor of Jesus Christ, since paradise is yours! How unfortunate are the rich, since their riches, if they refuse to share them, will only torment them more and more in hell!" (St Paul of the Cross) This sounds like a rallying ... Read More

After the general election, in the House of Commons, the former and present Prime Minister laughed together and said nice things about each other. This occasioned a note of self-congratulation in the media about the state of British democracy. Peaceful change of government. No-one disputing the vote count. A gold medal for GB in electoral conduct. Well, up to a point Lord Copper. There is evidenc... Read More

Sean van Staden SJ, from the Jesuit Institute South Africa, writes: How many songs can you think of that contain lyrics about "being me"? James Bay asks, "Why don't you be you, and I'll be me?" Adele sings, "So I hope I learn to get over myself, stop trying to be somebody else." Psychologists will tell you that the surest way to better mental health is to learn to accept yourself for who you are.... Read More

The 'March for the Martyrs' was a spectacular event when thousands of marching Catholic students filled Taft Avenue in Manila carrying banners and placards, singing fervently the patriotic song Ang Bayan, and demanding justice for students killed by the anti-riot police of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr when they staged a demonstration against injustice and corruption in 1972. They were the great d... Read More

Publishing the truth, revealing war crimes, atrocities, murders, and crimes against women and children and rights advocates are part of the onerous and sometimes dangerous work and duty of media people such as writers, journalists, publishers, editors, photographers. Many journalists are courageous, fearless and pay the ultimate price for revealing the truth about corruption and serious wrong-doin... Read More

Sophie Cartwright, Senior Policy Officer at Jesuit Refugee Services UK writes: In this week's election debate, the Prime Minister and leader of the opposition accused each other of pursuing policies that would grant refugees sanctuary, as if this were a great fault. It laid bare just how low our politics has sunk. Faced with a question about border control, the Prime Minister touted the government... Read More

The nine nuclear-armed states - United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel - "continued to modernize their nuclear arsenals 2023." This alarming statement from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's recently released 'SIPRI Yearbook 2024,' should serve as a wake-up call that nuclear-armed powers have no intention to dismantle th... Read More

I hope these few words are not an attempt at clergy bashing! Having spent 52 years in parish ministry, I feel I might have one or two ideas to be reflected on. There are so many calls on our energies, and these can be overwhelming at times. I don't want to add to that burden. How can a priest in the parish be more engaged in matters of justice, peace, reconciliation and care of God's creation? I ... Read More

Fr David OMalley writes in Salesian Schools.com: Don Bosco spent most of his life developing his work for youth in a feverish political atmosphere. He was involved in conversations between the Prime Minister Cavour of Piedmont and with Pope Pius IX. There were many extreme political parties forming many of them involved in violent campaigns and repression of specific groups. In 1864 there was a ... Read More

I'm in Renk, South Sudan, in what is known as the transit centre, an enclosed space that receives those fleeing violence in Sudan, a conflict that still rages on since April 2023. An old man taps me on the shoulder and points to his ankle. Lodged there is a pellet or a piece of shrapnel. The wound is dry by now. He has clearly been like this for some time, hobbling in silence. It is as if he knows... Read More

This latest in the series 'Voices from Gaza', produced by Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), comes from Amal Zaqout, Community Programme Officer, who is currently sheltering in Rafah. Amal is a single mother of two sons and has been working with MAP for seven years. In this blog, she recounts her experiences over the last six months and what she misses most about her life before Israel's military... Read More

Countries attending COP28 in the United Arab Emirates last December had wanted an agreement that would include an explicit commitment to phase out or even phase down fossil fuels. Instead, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference reached a consensus that called on countries to contribute to global efforts to transition, "away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just and equitable man... Read More