The moment our eyes are opened

A leading concert pianist, who is also a devout Catholic, has always been perturbed by a particular aspect of the Mass. Here he explores what he believes is the most profound moment in the commemoration of the Last Supper...

Where he might start …

As Vincent Nichols prepares to succeed Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, there will be a number of pressing issues clamouring for his attention. We asked leading Catholics what they think his priorities should be in the weeks and months to come...

How to build a moral society

As chairman of the Catholic Education Service, Archbishop Vincent Nichols has been outspoken in his defence of faith schools. Here, in an extract from a newly published book of essays, he advocates the importance of moral reasoning for education in a secular society...

The nun who knew first

Chris Blackhurst meets Catherine Cowley, the banker-turned-religious sister, whose predictions about the moral and economic hazards posed by complex financial instruments have come shockingly true ...

Has the BBC lost its nerve?

The BBC coverage of Easter services gives the impression that it’s business as usual at the corporation. But upheavals in the religion and ethics department are leading critics to ask whether the broadcaster has become too timid on issues of faith...

Vatican II comes of age

The reforms of the Church in the past 50 years are usually considered theological changes. But, says a historian of the Second Vatican Council, the outcry over the lifting of the ban on four Lefebvrist bishops is a reminder of how vital the Council was in shaping the Church as a political force...

Chorus of disapproval

Handel’s Messiah is a staple of the classical repertoire, loved by amateur and professional choirs. It is to be performed later this month at Westminster Abbey to mark the 250th anniversary of the composer’s death. Yet the reception of its first performances was anything but favourable...

It starts at dawn and lights the world for all time

While the focus of the liturgy is on Mark’s gospel this year, that of Matthew, which makes its appearance only on Easter Monday, reveals much about the other characters in the drama of the Resurrection and what is required of Christian discipleship...

Still thriving after all these years

Fifty years ago, The Tablet devoted a series of articles to a single parish in the East End of London. We returned to discover a community that had changed dramatically yet had retained its sense of unity. And it also highlights many of the problems that the new Archbishop of Westminster must face...

Present tense

A year ago the author wrote about discovering his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Now he describes how the illness is affecting him – not so much physically but in his relationships and his understanding of what self means...

For the love of the race

Behind the thrill and glamour of the Grand National are sad tales of jockeys poorly paid and badly injured. But, says, Dominic Prince, there isn’t one of them who wouldn’t still be up for the race again...

Beginning of the end, end of the beginning

As bottles are uncorked and wrappers removed, Sunday marks the conclusion of a journey of abstinence for many. But for some, writes Nicholas King, it can be seen as the start of a much longer voyage...

Called out of the darkness

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Waters of new life

Easter is traditionally a time when the Church welcomes new members through baptism. The profound meaning of the sacrament is revealed in the full immersion of adult candidates in the larger fonts that are becoming a more familiar sight in churches...

Fair trade makes the grade

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