THE BEST OF THE WEB: Gun laws, Catholic abuse, terror in Paris, Myanmar joy, the living wage and Pope Francis in Africa

The Tablet rounds up the web stories, analysis and comment this week that provide a thought-provoking look at the world around us. They are not from a Catholic viewpoint per say but they speak to Catholicism today...

THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS

An historical think piece in the Washington Post this week argued that the right for all men to bear arms in the United States was ingrained in the Constitution thanks to anti-Catholic gun control laws in England in the 17th century aimed at ensuring that a Roman Catholic king (or queen) never again ascended the throne. It worked but at what cost?

WASHINGTON POST: The Second Amendment vs Anti-Catholicism

SPOTLIGHT ON THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

As the much talked about film Spotlight which follows the investigation by the Boston Globe into systematic sex abuse by Catholic priests over many years hits cinemas across the US on Friday, Catholic commentators found polar opposite views on its worth.

But Anne Constable of the Santa Fe New Mexican provided one of the most poignant pieces among the many movie reviews by shining a spotlight on the problems in New Mexico

SANTA FE NEW MEXICAN: Catholic leaders wary of film; others welcome spotlight on sex abuse, cover up

TERROR IN PARIS

Many, many harrowing and some it has to be said hope filled stories came out of the atrocities committed in the name of religion in Paris last weekend. Special mention goes to Diesel, the brave French police dog who died tackling a jihadist in Saint Denis on Monday morning, but perhaps one of the most interesting blogs in the aftermath was by Timothy Egan in the New York Times who cited Voltaire in arguing that what we are witnessing is a clash of civilizations because these people are not civilised:

The massacre proved Voltaire’s observation — “those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities”.

NEW YORK TIMES: The civilized and the damned

Muslims in Morden, South London, hold prayers for Paris on Friday (PA)

LIVING WAGE AND FOOTBALL

Hot on the heels of Ellen Teague’s excellent piece about the fight to get English Premiership clubs to pay the living wage in The Tablet, it appears that north of the border the biggest (and richest) club, Celtic, the club for the Catholic side of Glasgow (and Belfast), is being brazen about the fact that it has no intention of adhering to paying what is seen as being a fair wage for its contracted staff. Craig Fowler reports from the club’s AGM for The Scotsman.

THE SCOTSMAN: Celtic: Living wage not in the interests of the club

A FUTURE FOR MYANMAR

Aung San Suu Kyi’s victory in the Myanmar general elections were widely covered across the world as a victory for democracy over the rule of dictatorship.

The Financial Times took a step back from the euphoria and set out the problems and the challenges that the new government faces and what it means for the region as a whole in an well thought out opinion piece.

THE FINANCIAL TIMES: From dictatorship to democracy

DRONING ON ABOUT POPE FRANCIS

Leaving aside the absurd idea that the Vatican is bracing itself for a drone attack from Isis, there was more hopeful news about the Pope’s visit to Africa.

Despite many reports to the contrary it looks like it is going ahead, and there are hopes that it will be as successful as his recent visits to Cuba and the US.

An alternative look at the forthcoming trip - which was penned before the atrocities in Paris - comes from the Institute for Security Studies which considers it a shame that such a forceful advocate for peace in Pope Francis does not have a Muslim couterpart to accompany him on this trip.

ISS: The political Pope comes to Africa