Normally, St Cecilia’s Abbey produces millions of hosts a year, bringing revenue to the community of Benedictine nuns on the Isle of Wight.

The Corporation is not some neutral umpire but a potent actor in the nation’s affairs

The Queen hopes that “in the years to come, everyone will be able to take pride in how they responded to this challenge”, but I can’t say there is much noble suffering in these long sunny days idled away in pyjamas, exploiting the labour of a normally absent spouse now at home to help with

Notre-Dame: The Soul of France By Agnès Poirier Oneworld, 240pp, £16.99/$26.95 I lived in northern France for two years in the early 1990s. Among those I knocked around with, in the newspapers I read, and in the films I watched, I don’t recall noticing much evidence that the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was so

The loss of all live concerts is surely one of the saddest impacts of the current health crisis, and we should spare a thought for those freelance musicians who, even in the best of times, live close to the breadline. True, there are some brave attempts to use online technology, but we all know it

Catholics know all too well the banishment from the higher things in life – indeed the highest – incurred by the coronavirus lockdown. But like others we endure the more worldly deprivations of these strange times as well. Much ink has already been spilt on the loss of one forbidden zone in particular: the pub.

What is grace? In everyday language, grace means a freely bestowed gift, worthy of admiration and associated with the idea of blessing, beauty and salvation. As a special divine action, grace is also an unmerited gift from God. The Bible and Catholic liturgy overflow with references to grace, and theology has a complex taxonomy of

“I went to work at the age of 21 for Sir Bernard Ashley, who was the co-founder of Laura Ashley – he was the husband. Sir Bernard invited me effectively to house-sit for him at his home in the south of France, where there was work being done. “I was there for about three months,

You’re planning a pilgrimage route. Where would you like to walk? I am always drawn to the Cotswolds because of its combination of nature and history – it offers the perfect amount of green with the perfect amount of antiquity. I’ve spent lockdown at my home in the Cotswolds and it’s been a fantastic awakening.

Pope Francis will take part in an online service with the Anglican archbishops of Canterbury and York on the feast of Pentecost

The country's Catholic bishops have raised concerns about voting "irregularities"

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has announced that churches will reopen for public Mass from 5 June, but with restrictions.