"Having celebrated so many ceremonies in an empty Westminster Cathedral, often with heart heavy at the strangeness of it all," writes Cardinal Vincent Nichols in his Easter reflection for Catholic Herald readers, "I so look forward to those gatherings of the Church which affirm and give life to us all."

Public participation in the celebration of the Mass is not, for now, possible. This is a sacrifice we have to make.

What wonder! The God of all power and might enters our world not in a palace or as an enforcer but by the route of human weakness. This is the wonder of the birth of Christ, the invitation he offers to us all. God’s use of power is so different from ours. In entering our

Central to our faith is our belief in ‘the Holy Catholic Church’. It was this that Pope Francis chose to emphasise in his closing remarks at the Synod of Bishops at the end of October. He pleaded with us never to forget or waiver in this belief. The Church is Holy. The Church is our

In person or in prayer, Adoremus will be a time of special grace

The days of the Eucharistic Congress, Adoremus, are going to be a time of special grace for the Catholic Church in England and Wales. I urge everyone to join in this great celebration of the Eucharist, God’s greatest gift to us, His family. The events in Liverpool, on September 7-9, will be memorable and moving.

In person or in prayer, Adoremus will be a time of special grace

Iraq's Christian communities are rebuilding, but there's a danger the international community will ignore them

In 2015 I was invited by Archbishop Bashar Warda to northern Iraq, where the Diocese of Erbil was sheltering many thousands of people who had fled from the Nineveh plains to escape ISIS. Christians have lived in Nineveh for almost 2,000 years, yet in a matter of days were forced out of their towns and

‘The coming of our God, our thoughts must now employ.” These words set the tone for our approach to Christmas. The famous Advent sermon of St Bernard of Clairvaux helps us to grasp their full meaning. He says that there are three comings of Christ for which we must be ready: the first coming of

One of the most moving events of the Year of Mercy thus far was the recent Vigil for the Wiping away of Tears, a vigil of consolation. Pope Francis invited to St Peter’s all whose hearts were full of tears for the great sadness of life. As he said, the tears shed every day in

Every Advent we are called to reflect on our lives and our faith. We prepare ourselves anew for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. More than ever, we are called to do so this Christmas as we enter the Jubilee Year of Mercy. The Incarnation of Christ is God’s greatest act of mercy. Jesus