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The arid job landscape facing Generation Z
November 03, 2020
The young people hoping to become adults this year are facing some serious road blocks. Last week, a 30 minute documentary aired on BBC Panorama called Has Covid Stolen My Future? The programme interviewed young people and graduates across the country who can find no work or who have had paid traineeships taken away. Unemployment
Why “Rethink. Reskill. Reboot” has got it wrong
October 18, 2020
A government-backed advertisement campaign encouraging people to consider careers in cyber security has been removed after angry backlash. The advertisement pictured a ballerina alongside the caption: “Fatima’s Next Job Could be in Cyber (she just doesn’t know it yet)”. The campaign, released by government programme CyberFirst, was criticised for undermining the Arts. The advertisement came
The grim reality of student lockdown
September 29, 2020
3,000 students across the country are in forced isolation, threatened with fines and arrest if they try to leave their halls of accommodation- even those who have been tested for Covid and found to be negative. At MMU (Manchester Metropolitan University), 1,700 students have been told to quarantine for a fortnight – their halls patrolled
Cardinal Parolin: has Francis’s ally dashed his chances of becoming Pope?
August 09, 2022
The battle for the next Pope may be shaping up to be a contest between a Filipino and a Hungarian, but Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, is said to be a big favourite of Pope Francis when it comes to succession. Yet is the Italian Cardinal undermining his chances of succeeding the Pope? Cardinal
Reaching beyond politics: how Pope Francis can win over Russia Patriarch
August 08, 2022
Pope Francis met deputy leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Antonij, at the Vatican late last week. The meeting was part of ongoing ecumenical contacts between the Papacy and the Patriarchate of Moscow. It followed a video call between Pope Francis and Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in March, shortly after the war in
Cardinal Tagle in UK: was potential pope’s liberal message a sign for future?
August 08, 2022
Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle – fast-emerging as a frontrunner to succeed Pope Francis, as rumours grow about a looming papal resignation – has been in the United Kingdom. A guest at the Anglican Lambeth Conference, the papabile offered a progressive message, a potential sign of what could be in store should the Cardinal succeed
Erdő vs. Tagle: the battle to be the next Pope
August 05, 2022
As speculation grows about the potential resignation of Pope Francis, whoever the next Pope is will say a great deal about the direction of a Church being pulled in different directions and threatened by schism with a progressive Synodal Path. One leading candidate to succeed Pope Francis is Hungary’s Cardinal Erdő, a conservative canon law
After China, India and Nigeria, Vatican cannot stay quiet on Nicaragua
August 05, 2022
Earlier this week, the government of Nicaragua ordered the closure of seven Catholic radio stations linked to a bishop who has been critical of President Daniel Ortega, as reported by Reuters. The announcement was made by Bishop Rolando Alvarez. The Nicaraguan telecommunications agency said the stations did not meet technical requirements to be on air.
Pope appoints medical assistant: yet another resignation signal?
August 05, 2022
On Thursday, in what could be a further sign of a looming papal resignation, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had appointed a nurse from the Vatican’s health services to be his “personal medical assistant”, an entirely new role. Massimiliano Strappetti – Vatican coordinator of nurses and health facilities – will take up the position.
Not all popes deserve to be canonised
August 04, 2022
Some popes, like St Gregory the Great, are outstanding embodiments of Christian virtue. But the popes of the last century were not set in that mould
Pope Francis should speak up for Taiwan
August 04, 2022
On Tuesday, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan, the island democracy which China views as a renegade province. Although the US does not officially recognise Taiwan as an independent state, in reality most countries – including the US – view Taiwan as a country in its own right. For the Chinese Communist Party
Kansas backs abortion access in test for Supreme Court ruling
August 03, 2022
The US state of Kansas – which is largely represented by Republicans in Congress but which has a Democratic Governor – has decided in a referendum to protect abortion access, in what could be seen as a rebuff of the Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs. Although several states have moved to restrict abortion access since
Pope could meet head of Russian Church in major diplomatic moment
August 02, 2022
Pope Francis is set to make his 38th Apostolic Journey to Kazakhstan in September for the VII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office has confirmed. During the trip it is likely the Pope will come face to face with Patriarch Kirill, leader of
Door is open: Pope resignation rumours grow as he repeats phrase on future
August 01, 2022
The rumour mill surrounding Pope Francis’ future will hardly have been calmed as the Pontiff returned from his “pilgrimage of penance” to Canada. Travelling back to Rome, the Pope told reporters he can no longer travel like he did because of knee problems, calling the visit “a bit of a test” which showed he needed
Merely Catholic Podcast – Sacred or Sinister: the Pope’s Opus Dei initiative
July 29, 2022
Opus Dei found unwelcome fame and undeserved notoriety at the hand of thr infamous but hugely successful novelist Dan Brown. It has returned to the public stage this week, not in the form of the imaginative parody the Da Vinci Code presented, but because of the pope’s most recent letter. Entitled ‘Ad charisma tuendum’ “For
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