Catholic Church

Heretic of the week: Conrad Beissel

conrad beissel (1691-1768) was born in eberbach, a town deeply divided between catholics and calvinists. as one of the latter, he took up th...

Charles Coulombe

Writing homilies often leaves me shaken

during homilies, i occasionally tell an amusing story to illustrate my point. i deliver a line i find particularly jocular, only to look up ...

Fr Michael Rennier

Saints for a new situation

everywhere in church circles today you hear a lament: our churches are emptying. we’ve lost our youth. this generation no longer knows or un...

Fr Ronald Rolheiser

Does the Vatican's new financial czar have a hope?

if you want to know how the reform of vatican finances is going, two developments are a bellwether: the appointment of fr juan antonio guerr...

Christopher R. Altieri

Prize crossword 0619

cryptic across 3 two boys read quietly in school a letter from paul (11) 7 fool little boy to come to a valley near jerusalem (6) 8 it’s him...

How to… Serve the Church in retirement

parish priests today seldom live in community with other priests, which was normal half a century ago, but live alone while often trying to ...

The Catholic Herald

Why children should be taught the history of the Mass

ignorance, says lady bracknell in the importance of being earnest, is like a delicate, exotic, fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone. she wo...

Fr Dominic Allain

The Borgia story isn't all debauchery

the borgias: power and fortune by paul strathern atlantic books, 400pp, £25/$28.95 the dubious distinction of serving as the stereotypical e...

The odd couple who kept up Britain's spirits

attlee and churchill by leo mckinstry atlantic, 737pp, £25/$28 talk about the descent from the sublime to the ridiculous. from attlee and ch...

When atheists compose Masses

convincing catholic sacred music cannot be written by every gifted composer. when gustav mahler, a convert from judaism, was asked why he ha...