SPIRITED THINKING SINCE 1888
Niall Gooch

It is a scandal that US bishops will not stand up to Biden over abortion
May 18, 2022
Does the Church hierarchy believe Church teaching about the sacraments?
If men will not be governed by the Ten Commandments
May 05, 2022
The need to have laws to stop men staring at women inappropriately has come about due to the moral and spiritual problems in our society
The spiritual danger of watching war footage
April 12, 2022
The prevalence of war footage encourages people to celebrate the suffering of their enemies.
Humility among clerics is what is needed to stamp out sex abuse in the Church
March 28, 2022
As a Catholic, it is appalling to watch the Church fail time and again to prevent abusers from re-offending
Vowing to revive monasticism
January 24, 2022
As monastic communities dwindle, we must strive all the more to imitate Christ
The true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh
December 23, 2021
Ours is a universal church with a message of hope for all mankind
Thy will be done
December 06, 2021
We will often disagree on what justice looks like
Christian culture must be defended at all costs
November 17, 2021
The end of Christendom will bring many trials and difficulties for Catholics
Can the “Synod on Synodality” help the church?
October 27, 2021
Will the "synod on synodality" be helpful or constructive for the Church?
On the urgent need for better homilies
October 14, 2021
The length, style and quality of homilies is a subject for debate within the Church
The Assisted Dying Bill poses a murderous threat to society
September 25, 2021
Once we have admitted into law the principle that patients can be intentionally killed, it is very difficult to control the wider application of that principle.
Why Catholics need rituals
September 09, 2021
On the last day of the summer term, it was prize-giving at my children’s school. The chapel was full of youngsters, scrubbed and polished and shining in their best uniforms. The Head Boy and the Head Girl wore their gowns of office. The Headmaster and the Chairman of the Governors were also dressed for the
Symbolic stance
April 29, 2022
Churches must take care, when hanging flags, to differentiate between the political and the eternal
Rock of Ages
March 30, 2022
The Carthusian motto reminds us of the Church’s constancy in times of peril
Finding the key to an interior life
February 28, 2022
A delightful book, published in 1948, still has the power to entrance children
The steep and rugged pathway
January 27, 2022
Lent looms. But for members of Exodus 90, a sort of rigorous abstinence the Desert Fathers might recognise has been a way of life since 17 January
Unwelcome alteration
December 26, 2021
On the 30th anniversary of its publication, a book about the Reformation explains how Christianity was robbed of its magic and mystery
Maintaining the Christmas spirit
December 01, 2021
The secret to overcoming the anticlimax of January is to set oneself easy goals
Oh, for a clearer walk with God
October 21, 2021
If homilies are to be engaging, regardless of length, a greater effort must be made, while training candidates for the priesthood, in how to speak
Following St Francis
October 02, 2021
On 4 October 2003, the Feast Day of Saint Francis, I arrived in Santiago de Compostela, having completed the Camino Frances, the pilgrimage route which crosses northern Spain from the Pyrenees. After queuing for our certificates of completion, my walking companions and I hurried to the midday pilgrims’ Mass at the magnificent Gothic cathedral. It
Squabbling over the Old Rite
August 29, 2021
The internal debate about the Latin Mass has little effect on the Church’s outreach and is unlikely to reverse the decline of Catholicism in the West
The Poetry of The Mass
May 24, 2021
That many aspects of God’s nature and plans remain mysterious, at least during our earthly lives, has been a longstanding theme of Christian writing.
Counterfactuals
February 26, 2021
Counterfactuals are great fun -- and the beginning of the Reformation in England is packed with fascinating ones Niall Gooch likes to explore. 
Can the scientific process be rescued from itself?
August 24, 2020
Science Fictions By Stuart Ritchie Bodley Head, 368pp, £18.99 When I gave talks on bioethical issues for the charity Life, for a while a staple of our discussions was the work of the Korean scientist Hwang Woo-Suk, who achieved international fame in 2004 for his apparent breakthroughs in embryonic stem cell technology. However, our presentations
Most Popular
Donate
Please Donate

Having been unable to sell in churches for well over a year due to the pandemic, we are now inviting readers to support the Herald by investing in our future. We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values.

Please join us on our 130 year mission by supporting us. We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching. For more information from our chairman on contributing to the Herald Patron's Fund, click here

Make a Donation

Donors giving £500 or more will automatically become sponsor patrons of the Herald. This includes two complimentary print/digital gift subscriptions, invitations to Patron events, pilgrimages and dinners, and 6 gift subscriptions sent to priests, seminaries, Catholic schools, religious care homes and prison and university chaplaincies. Click here for more information on becoming a Patron Sponsor. Click here for more information about contributing to the Herald Patron's Fund