SPIRITED THINKING SINCE 1888
March 12, 2020
Rome’s churches closed until April 3
March 12, 2020
Entrance to the parish and other churches of Rome is now forbidden to the general public
How the coronavirus is affecting the rededication of England as Mary’s Dowry
March 12, 2020
You can now unite yourself to the rededication from home
March 13, 2020 issue
March 12, 2020
For centuries the remains of one of England’s earliest saints lay hidden from the world. But now – quite astonishingly – they have come to light, says David Keys in this week’s cover story. Francis Young explains the significance of the discovery. Also in this issue, Benedict Rogers meets a cardinal who celebrated Mass secretly in a Soviet prison. Mary Kenny explains the
Amid crisis, Rome’s civic spirit remains high
March 12, 2020
Mass at the old basilica in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love began about as close to punctually as usual for Rome, just after twilight had given way to night. The sun had set a little over three quarters of an hour earlier, with its last light bathing the horizon in the colour
From Paul VI to Francis, popes have tried to strengthen the synod
March 12, 2020
The Vatican has announced that the world’s bishops will meet in October 2022 for a synod on synodality. The official theme of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will be “For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission”.  The announcement triggered two broad reactions on social media. Outspoken supporters of Pope
A synod on ‘synodality’ isn’t a bad idea
March 12, 2020
Pope Francis has announced the theme of the next Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, scheduled for October 2022: “For a synodal Church: communion, participation, and mission.” (Insert obligatory “synod on synodality” joke here.) There; now that’s out of the way. It’s not a terrible idea, to be perfectly frank. Indeed, it’s long
Cardinal Nichols: The cathedral choir is our school’s raison d’être
March 12, 2020
A lingering controversy continues to surround Westminster Cathedral Choir School and its world-class singers. Months of turbulence have followed the abolition of weekend boarding for 20 choristers: a move which means that the choristers, aged eight to 13, will no longer sing together seven days a week. Parents and prominent musicians have raised the alarm;
Supreme Court faces a moment of truth on abortion
March 12, 2020
Last week the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in June Medical Services v Russo, which tests a Louisiana law that requires abortionists to have “admitting privileges” before being able to practise at local hospitals. In practice, if the law is allowed to stand, two of the three abortion facilities in Louisiana would be forced to
The wage hike that led to a baby boom
March 12, 2020
Dan Price, the CEO of an online payments company who vowed to pay all his workers a wage of $70,000 a year, is back in the news after a recent BBC profile. Price first made the promise in 2015, phasing in the raises over several years. Now that enough time has passed to render a
Spain’s bishops turn to ‘one of Pope Francis’s strongmen’
March 12, 2020
The new president of Spain’s bishops’ conference has pledged to promote reconciliation and coexistence in his traditionally Catholic country, while also seeking dialogue with its Socialist-led government. “We cannot serve society, our communities or the Church unless we love them – without seeking privileges, we also need to be treated with dignity and respect,” said
Cardinal Marx’s protégé completes a rapid rise to the top
March 12, 2020
Following the resignation of Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the German Bishops’ Conference (DBK) has a new president. Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg was elected for a six-year term at the DBK’s spring plenary meeting in Mainz. Bishop Bätzing, 58, has only been a bishop since 2016, but has long been regarded as a protégé of Cardinal
Diary: The reactionary hacks who turn to the Church
March 12, 2020
Before the journalist and former Private Eye editor Christopher Booker died last year, aged 81, he’d just finished a book, Groupthink: A Study in Self-Delusion, published this week.  Under that catch-all heading of Groupthink, Booker nimbly skewers the malaise of the modern age: how an “in-group” polices society with its new form of puritanism, coming down hard on
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