“Welcome to the desert of the real,” Morpheus tells Neo as he awakens from the computer-generated dreamworld into grim reality. The line, borrowed from Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard, captures a central modern anxiety: what if the world we experience is not real, but an illusion? In his work, Baudrillard – a French philosopher…
Q: Is it always wrong in every case to lie? What about the so-called ‘little white lie?’ I’m thinking of situations where you tell a person something you know is false to spare their feelings, when they’re likely never going to know the truth anyway. A: Our Catholic faith teaches us that lying is an offense against the…
This is just what Christian inclusiveness is about: all are invited; not to ‘more of the same,’ but to something new, radical, and wonderful, writes Fr Chris Hayden Welcoming, openness, acceptance; inclusiveness, inclusion, inclusivity… these ideas have become part of the air we breathe. Their goodness is as taken-for-granted as that of fresh air, wholesome…
It is with the astonished joy of the resurrection in the season of Easter that we welcome a new Pope. We continue to mourn the loss of Pope Francis whose extensive ministry through presence, preaching, teaching and writing can now be absorbed and take on new light. Just as the words of Christ we read…
CS Lewis, one of the great Christian apologists, didn’t become a Christian without resistance and struggle. He grew into adulthood nursing a certain scepticism and agnosticism. He wasn’t drawn naturally to faith or to Christ. But he was always radically honest in trying to listen to the deepest voices inside and at a certain point…
Russell Shaw Cardinal Robert Prevost has selected the name Pope Leo XIV, an apparent nod to Pope Leo XIII, who deserves to be called the founding father of Catholic social doctrine in modern times, with his encyclical Rerum Novarum as its foundational document. The Catholic Church has taught social morality for many centuries. This body of teaching includes…
Acts 14:21-27 Apocalypse 21:1-5 John 13:31-33,34-35 It is becoming increasingly evident that religious objects, such as crosses and holy medals, are not only symbols of people’s faith but are also often incorporated into jewellery or decorative items. Instead of being signs that communicate one’s identity and serve as sources of strength and direction in…
Jesus said: “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice.” We’re exhausted – as individuals and as a society. Stress, anxiety, overwork and overwhelm are everywhere. Speaking to those in the medical profession lately I was told that these are the most common complaints leading to exhaustion and sick leave. As a friend…
Catholic education, Apologetics and COVID-19 This article explores what influences people to develop a faith and conversely why do they lose their faith. Research evidence points to perhaps surprising data on the role of schools and, also on the influence of home. Insight into apologetics helps us consider how we discuss and defend our faith…
Acts 13:14, 43-52 Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5 Rv 7:9, 14b-17 Jn 10:27-30 Are we listening? This week’s Gospel from John offers this simple, matter-of-fact statement from Jesus: “My sheep hear my voice.” That idea of hearing also crops up in the first reading, from Acts, which reminds us how the people of Antioch responded…
Fr John McCarthy
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Fr Dominik Domagala