Catholic Church

Henry VIII's master of bureaucracy and propaganda

thomas cromwell: a life by diarmaid macculloch, allen lane, 730pp, £30 this new biography is so prodigiously thorough and clever that it is ...

Jack Scarisbrick

Dreamy, languid and above all beautiful

the pre-raphaelite artist sir edward burne-jones was once asked by a young girl if he believed the story he had painted in the star of bethl...

David V Barrett

Letters & emails

what we can learn from 'slum priests' sir – your inspiring and insightful cover story, “a beautiful answer for ugly times” (october 26), rig...

The Catholic Herald

After cultural Catholicism

when i think about the future of the church in america, i like to close my eyes. when i do, i see marian processions, like the ones held by ...

Brandon McGinley

A reasonable doubt

friends and colleagues of the distinguished lawyer sir louis blom-cooper will have been puzzled by the opening sentence of his recent obitua...

Richard Ingrams

Reformation, decadence and fast cars

i recently took gilda away for a few days in norfolk. gilda’s not my wife, she’s my green mini cooper, and she just loves the open country. ...

Mass readings

ordinary form divine office week iii sunday, november 4: the 31st sunday of the year dt 6:2-6; ps 18; heb 7:23-28; mk 12:28b-34 monday, nove...

The Catholic Herald

The betrayal of underground Christians

a friend of mine recently spoke to a religious who worked in the underground church in china. this religious says he has received reports of...

Fr Dominic Allain

The best of the web

✣ highlights from the week online sodano: influential and controversial “when it comes to vatican scandals, a few names tend to surface ever...

The big story of the past seven days

✣ speculation swirls over ousted memphis bishop what happened? pope francis has dismissed bishop martin holley from the diocese of memphis, ...