by Jack Valero John Henry Newman (1801-1890) will be canonised by Pope Francis this Sunday 13 October in Rome. He lived through almost the whole of the 19th century and spent half his life as an Anglican and half as a Catholic. He was a priest, a popular preacher, a writer and an eminent theologian in both churches. Although he lived such a long time ago, he is still very relevant to people today, as shown in the following nine areas.  1. Education Newman’s book The Idea of a University continues to be a reference work for tertiary educational institutions. His vision that education had to be ..read more

By Fionn Shiner Total mania swept across Twitter recently after Bishop Tobin, Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island, said that Catholic families should not be attending LGBTQ pride events. He said: “A reminder that Catholics shout not support or attend LGBTQ “Pride Month” events held in June. They promote a culture and encourage activities that are contrary to Catholic faith and morals. They are especially harmful for children.” He was widely criticised, both on social media and in the mainstream media. This follows the recent sacking of Israel Folau, an Australian rugby player, after he shared ..read more

By Fionn Shiner A stir was caused recently after the Home Office refused asylum to a Christian convert from Iran. He said he converted to Christianity because it talks of “peace, forgiveness and kindness” whilst “in Islam there is violence, rage and revenge.” Using passages from the bible from Leviticus, Matthew, Exodus and Revelation as evidence, the Home Office case worker denied his application. They said: “These examples are inconsistent with your claim that you converted to Christianity after discovering it is a ‘peaceful’ religion’.” In the secular mind, Christianity is often seen as a r ..read more

By Joe Ronan Until comparatively recently, the etiquette of greeting people was rather straightforward.  A handshake would suffice for all other than close relatives, and even then polite restraint was the rule.   Increasingly though social greetings seem increasingly diverse and difficult to judge.  My own sincere and eagerly offered handshake can now be seen as overly formal when compared with a mix of hugs, kisses and full-blown embraces. This minefield of greeting etiquette was evident in the viral video of the Pope greeting people at the Church in Loreto, Italy, where he was a recent visi ..read more