Swords crossed over a crucifix

The Italian Government is seeking to appeal against a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights that could lead to the removal of crucifixes from state school classrooms. A leading human-rights lawyer looks at a case that goes to the heart arguments about the relationship between Church and State...

Sex, teens and targets

In spite of spending £300 million on sex education, contraception and the morning-after pill, the Government has admitted it will fail to meet its target of halving the number of teenage pregnancies by 2010. Catholic schools believe their approach to sex education is more effective...

Devoted to an African ‘Jesus’

Around a million Kenyans worship in a Church that has a special devotion to Mary and has its headquarters in ‘Jerusalem’. But why has a sect called Legio Maria drifted so far from its Christian roots, and what can the Church learn from the experience? ...

Anglican offerings that enrich the Church

A Catholic priest who was first ordained in the Church of England argues that the apostolic constitution facilitating the reception of Anglicans into the Catholic Church need not be seen as an ecumenical barrier, and should be considered an enrichment of Roman Catholicism...

‘We are at a crucial moment’

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem this week told the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales that he is pessimistic about the Israeli Prime Minister’s offer of concessions to the Palestinians, and launched a charity to support Christians in the Holy Land. Here we present extracts from his address...

Don’t forget to wake early

If we are in a state of depression, or prone to such states, it is at least partly our habits of thought that bring us there or keep us there. But, even on the dark winter mornings, it is possible to allow ourselves to emerge from the gloom...

His endless reign

The end of the liturgical year builds to a crescendo in this feast. Changes to the prayer may well reflect both a renewed confidence in the Church after the Second Vatican Council, writes Daniel McCarthy, and the growing influence of the ecumenical movement on many Christians...

Songs of waiting

In our culture, the distinction between Advent and Christmas has become increasingly blurred. It is important to maintain that distinction in our liturgy, with hymns and music appropriate to the season...

Hands for hire

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