Michael Swan

Ancient music sets stage for the Christmas season

December 13, 2016

There’s no better way to get ready for Christmas than to open your ears to a little Advent music — not the jingles in the mall but music that slows time down just enough to allow for some peace and reflection.

Egypt's Christians praying for peace after deadly attack in Cairo

December 12, 2016

With 24 dead and as many as 21 of the 45 injured in hospital, victims of a suicide bomber at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt’s Christians are praying for the unity and peace of their nation, a Catholic pastor in Egypt’s Christian heartland told The Catholic Register.

Is racism a factor in backlog of refugees from East Africa?

December 11, 2016

While Canada resettled more than 35,000 refugees from Syria over the last 12 months and brought refugee processing times down to eight months for privately sponsored refugees from Lebanon, refugees in Ethiopia languish more than six years in the system and Church groups are discouraged from sponsoring Africans.

World turning blind eye to East Africa's refugee crisis costing thousands of lives

December 10, 2016

As the world focuses most of its attention on Syria, East Africa and its nine million refugees — 26 per cent of the world’s refugee population — is facing another wave of failed states, civil wars and ethnic cleansing.

Making the case for Catholic education amid defunding cries

December 3, 2016

For the last three years Ontario’s Liberal government has opened up its budget-making process to anybody with an Internet connection and each year among the most frequent suggestions is de-funding the Catholic school system.

New book chronicles Canadian artists’ lives of faith and search for meaning

December 3, 2016

If you think of artists as strange, unbalanced, complicated personalities whose natural habitat is somewhere on the margins, Herman Goodden is not about to change your opinion. But if you think books about art and artists are dull, academic, jargon-laden wastes of time, paper and ink, Goodden wants you to think again.

End 'effective referral' policy for doctors, protesters demand

November 30, 2016

Fundamental freedoms are threatened by a College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario policy that would force doctors to provide an “effective referral” for services such as abortion and assisted suicide even if they believe it to be medically and morally wrong, former Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth told about 30 protesters gathered in front of Queen's Park on Nov. 30.

Cardinals called 'disloyal' after dubia request goes unanswered

November 27, 2016

There is little tradition of cardinals correcting popes on matters of Catholic Church teaching. But citing tradition, canon law and dogma, Cardinal Raymond Burke has reached back almost 700 years and threatened to initiate a “formal act of correction” if Pope Francis refuses to answer five questions launched by Burke and three other cardinals.

Recent polls point to Canadians demanding better palliative care

November 26, 2016

If there’s anything that unites Canadians, it’s their overwhelming support for something very few of us have.

Shroud of Turin replica caught in bylaw battle

November 25, 2016

TORONTO – It takes faith to thumb your nose at city hall, and Reg Hartt has plenty.