Focus

  • Philippine cardinal hopes synod debate goes beyond Communion question

    Oct 10, 2014

    The separation of married couples is a huge issue in the Philippines and other parts of Asia, not because of divorce but because poverty pushes couples to separate in search of jobs abroad, said Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila.

  • The Council of Trent did not condemn second marriages in Venice

    Oct 10, 2014

    La Civilta Cattolica has waited until the eve of the synod to break the silence that it had maintained until now on the most controversial question: whether or not to allow second weddings after a failed marriage.

  • First female appointed to Vatican Congregation says women have much to offer Church

    Oct 10, 2014

    The first woman ever to be appointed a member of a Vatican congregation explains that “women still have much to give to the Church with their personal charisma.”

  • Food for Thought

    Oct 01, 2014

    The Holy Family is a tough act to follow. We can’t compete with a holy child, a perfect mother and father when we live in a world of extremes.

  • Some qualities of happy families

    Oct 01, 2014

    The Russian writer Leo Tolstoy in Anna Karenina wrote: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

  • What makes families happy?

    Oct 01, 2014

    Do you know any families who do not hope for happiness? I don’t. But most of us have trouble defining “happiness” precisely.

  • Fatherless at the Depth of our Being

    Oct 01, 2014

    Anthropologists tell us that father-hunger, a frustrated desire to be blessed by our own fathers, is one of the deepest hungers in the world today, especially among men.

  • On how we react to criticism and opposition

    Sep 25, 2014

    Have you ever noted how we spontaneously react to a perceived threat? Faced with a threat, our primal instincts tend to take over and we instantly freeze over and begin to shut all the doors opening to warmth, gentleness, and empathy inside us.

  • Food For Thought

    Sep 25, 2014

    When it comes to politics and religion, we could take a take a page from politicians and religious leaders who regularly meet to talk, even when their beliefs are at odds.

  • A Christian above all, even politics

    Sep 25, 2014

    I feel incredible reverence for God. And I love the Bible. But let’s face it, someone could’ve made things a little clearer for us modern folks.