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September 2, 2014
MANCHESTER, England - Scotland's archbishops have encouraged Catholics to vote in the forthcoming referendum on independence — and to pay attention to the issue of religious freedom.
With the Supreme Court of Canada preparing to hear arguments on assisted suicide in October, Quebec's anti-euthanasia doctors have no time to win public support for their cause. All their energy is focused on persuading Supreme Court judges.
NAIROBI, KENYA - Five months after Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls in Nigeria’s Borno State, the Islamic extremist group has begun occupying churches in the country’s northeastern region, Church officials there said.
September 3, 2014
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis' choice of Albania as the destination of his first international trip in Europe reflects his trademark pastoral approach: Head to the peripheries, bring healing to the suffering.
September 4, 2014
Despite a distressing RCMP report on violence against native women and the recent murder of a female aboriginal teenager, calls for a public inquiry are misguided. Canadians don’t need an expensive, long-winded, politically driven talk-fest on native issues. The facts are already in. It’s time now for leadership and action.
Dear Grade Nines, The other day one of my high school friends posted the following on Facebook: “Enough of this (stuff). I want to go back to Grade 8 and start again please.”
In 1991 Hollywood produced a comedy entitled City Slickers starring Billy Crystal. In a quirky way it was a wonderfully moral film, focusing on three middle-aged men from New York City who were dealing with midlife crisis.
NEW YORK - After years of strong resistance, organizers of New York’s St. Patrick’s Day parade said that gays and lesbians will be allowed to march under their own banner for the first time, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan — the parade’s grand marshal next March — has welcomed the move.
ROME - The Italian bishops' conference has sent a message of solidarity to Fr. Luigi Ciotti, founder of Libera, a network of Italian anti-Mafia associations, following an apparent threat to his life from a Sicilian Mafia boss.
VATICAN CITY - Former Israeli President Shimon Peres asked Pope Francis to head a parallel United Nations called the "United Religions" to counter religious extremism in the world today.
ARDEN, ONT. - Acronym wise, it’s a mouthful — ECCCLC. So participants call it “GT” instead, which stands for Ga Tong, which gives you a sense of who is involved.
Surely it’s redundant to list the acts of violence committed by Muslims specifically in the name of Islam. I could fill this newspaper, let alone this column, with accounts of the beheadings, the crucifixions, the rapes, the suicide bombs, the hacking off of limbs, the grotesque, deliberate and sadistic violence inflicted on usually innocent and vulnerable people by Islamist fanatics. Frankly I am sick of the denial, the cowardly relativism, the sordid attempts to pretend this has nothing to do with the Muslim faith but is about occupation, oppression or poverty. That’s childish politics and unworthy of serious consideration.
Why do people cheat — whether on their spouse, during tests, playing sports or in business? A recent event amongst friends triggered this question in my mind and nagged me for several days about the psychology of cheating.
MANCHESTER, England - Christina Khider Abada was seated beside her mother, Ayda Abada, on a bus when captors from the Islamic State snatched her three-year-old daughter and took her away.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross Sept. 14 (Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 78; Philippians 2:6-11; John 3:13-17) It would be a safe bet to offer $10 to anyone in a group able to explain the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In the fourth century, it commemorated the discovery of Christ’s cross by St. Helena, the Emperor Constantine’s mother. The Eastern Churches tied it to Emperor Heraclius’ recovery of the relic of the cross from Persian captivity in the seventh century. Take your pick!
VATICAN CITY - Iraqi Christians are true and courageous witnesses of Christ's message of hope, forgiveness and love, Pope Francis said.
OTTAWA - The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada is giving $1 million to the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace to help displaced Iraqis.
What does the title “Divorce Busting” suggest to you? A law firm, perhaps? Actually, it’s a counselling service for couples on the brink of divorce. I attended a workshop by its founder, an enlightening tour through the labyrinth of betrayal.
September 5, 2014
TORONTO - Pornography deadens healthy sexual relationships, says Moira McQueen.