Europe

Benedict XVI: Compassion without compromise

it was thursday 18 august, 2005, and we were on the banks of the rhine in cologne. hand in hand, my friend and i had run, squealing, back an...
Margaret Nicholson

Defenders of the Faith: The British Monarchy, Religion and the Next Coronation

catherine pepinster hodder and stoughton, £25, 352 pages on october 11, 1521 leo x con- ferred the title fidei defensor on henry viii for hi...
William Davage

Diary: by William Stirling James

i have been reading of the oscar schindler-like exploits of my friend and herald director brooks newmark, who has not only taken in a ukrain...
William Stirling James

On the Fifth Day of Christmas: Crown, sword and mitre

ben stephens reflects on the life, death, and afterlife of thomas becket, who rose to be henry ii’s lord chancellor and archbishop of canter...
Ben Stephens

The Rupnik Scandal: the Jesuit must stand trial, says New York canonist

father marko rupnik at a private audience with pope francis at the apostolic palace on january 3, 2022 (vatican media) (rome) fr marko ...
Diana Montagna

The Christmas speech that defines the King as a 'defender of faiths'

has king charles sowed the seeds of the destruction of the house of windsor? dramatically this year the king’s speech refers not just to a f...
Gavin Ashenden

Christmas is an antidote to our pampered, egotistical culture

it is no longer fashionable to preach on the “four last things” during advent. death, judgement, hell and heaven are not easy to digest for ...
Gavin Ashenden

Pope warns race-baiters against 'appropriation' of Our Lady of Guadalupe

on the feast day of our lady of guadalupe earlier this week, pope francis, celebrating in the vatican, offered some helpful insights into ho...
Gavin Ashenden

'Christmas without Bach is unthinkable'

one of the paradoxes of the modern christmas is that we spend a terrific amount on the celebration before the feast and then terminate it ab...
Melanie McDonagh

Already, and not yet: waiting for the coming of Christ

there’s something about advent which speaks to the hearts of us all. because advent is two things. it is a season which is incredibly specia...
Fr Mark Vickers