Catholic Church

Like the early Christians, we know both joy and suffering

fifth sunday of easter acts 14:21-27; rev 21:1-5; jn 13:31-35 (year c) “paul and barnabas, on their arrival at antioch, assembled the church...

Bishop David McGough

We can all defend priests from spiritual attack

those who think that praying for priests is part of our ordinary duty demanded by christian charity should look at the state of the church t...

Francis Phillips

Aretha Franklin, witness to the Gospel

in january 1972, aretha franklin travelled to los angeles to join her good friend pastor james cleveland and the southern california communi...

The apocalyptic vision of my friend Les Murray

when les murray received an honorary d litt degree from the university of new england in 1990, he began his acceptance speech in an unusual ...

Letters & emails

letter of the week a saint's plea to a young shakespeare sir – joseph pearce (arts, may 10) writes of the jesuit martyr st robert southwell ...

The Catholic Herald

How St Benedict's abbey survived Goths, Saracens and Nazis

‘next time you invade italy, don’t start at the bottom.” that was the post-war puckish advice to a british officer from the german general i...

Allan Mallinson

Women deacons and the Church's confusion

last week pope francis disappointed advocates for the ordination of women. his previous statements on the death penalty and communion for th...

Matthew Schmitz

The new abuse law is the biggest reform since 2001

pope francis has long argued that a thoroughgoing response to sexual abuse requires a conversion of heart and of ecclesial culture, rather t...

Fr Raymond de Souza

Will Pakistan's blasphemy laws ever be reformed?

“because of cases in which people are falsely accused of blasphemy, the whole of pakistani society is suffering. many people would say we ar...

How Britain failed Asia Bibi

at last, asia bibi is free. six months after her acquittal on a trumped-up charge of blasphemy, the pakistani government has confirmed that ...