Revealed: the modern Catholic

Core beliefs of practising Catholics, revealed in the sometimes surprising, sometimes touching results of a major survey conducted for The Tablet by Cambridge University’s Von Hügel Institute, are highlighted this week in the first of two special reports. Next week part two uncovers individual attitudes of Catholics to sex and contraception 40 years after Humanae Vitae...

An impossible act to follow, unfortunately

Nelson Mandela turned 90 yesterday. But with South Africa’s democratic institutions under threat and allegations of corruption rife, what has gone wrong, and what is left of the great man’s legacy?...

Relative values

The Tablet’s survey of Catholics’ attitudes to faith and the family published in this issue reveals a high degree of commitment to that institution among the faithful. Here one of the Church’s foremost commentators argues that the family is vital for the continuing existence of democracy...

Victims of the perfect storm

The by-election next week in one of Britain’s poorest constituencies is focusing attention on the plight of those most in need. There is powerful evidence that the people on the lowest incomes are suffering disproportionately from the effects of the credit crunch...

Unity through worship

Anglican bishops from around the world gathered this week in Canterbury for the Lambeth Conference. Every day, the conference begins and ends with an act of worship. Determining the form this should take is always a challenge – never more than now, with the Church’s internal conflicts...

A special calling

The Church of England has taken a decisive step, following other Anglican Churches, towards the ordination of female bishops. But there are hundreds of other women who have a major role in episcopal ministry: these are bishops’ wives, and they are having their own conference at Lambeth...

Sacrifice perfected

Our offerings at Mass, like Christ’s offering of himself, are all intended to bring us to salvation. And as Daniel McCarthy explains, when, by showing mercy, we extend to our neighbour what God has done for us, we join in his saving work...

Burnout helps no one

Ministers are called to serve, and to give themselves fully to this work. But pastoral needs can be so demanding that answering them can take a terrible toll on the minister. It is therefore essential that they maintain a balance in their lives, and remember to care also for themselves...

Doing the splits

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