FREE access to the digital edition and archives until September 2. Click here. →
Browse › 2015 › October
October 21, 2015
Inside the Synod hall, things look very different from media reports about conservatives debating liberals over communion for divorced and remarried Catholics, said theologian and Synod auditor Moira McQueen.
UNITED NATIONS - The information and services that space technology provides must be shared as much as possible by the countries of the world to reduce the risk that economic and social inequalities will widen, a Vatican official told the United Nations.
October 22, 2015
TORONTO -When Leo Rautins visited Dan Prendergast in early October, the former NBA player and TSN basketball analyst knew it was the last time he’d ever see his former coach alive.
OTTAWA - Michael Hartney dreamed of being a priest as a young man, but his early sense of vocation was never fulfilled. That changed five decades later as Hartney has been ordained to the priesthood in Ottawa.
The efforts of Christians are aimed at opening the door of the heart to the Holy Spirit. That was the message of Pope Francis during morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Thursday. The Pope emphasized that conversion, for the Christian, a daily task that leads us to the encounter with Jesus. As an example of this, Francis told the story of a mother suffering from cancer, who gives her all to overcome the illness.
OTTAWA - On the eve of Zélie and Louis Martin’s canonization Oct. 18, Ottawa parents, some already devoted to the new saints, took part in a conference on sanctifying families.
VATICAN CITY - Two of the 13 final small-group reports of the Synod of Bishops for the family contained apologies: one for ways in which a lack of pastoral care may have contributed to the breakdown of marriages and one for "harsh and merciless" attitudes toward unwed mothers and their children, the divorced and homosexuals.
In light of the debates at the Synod on the Family in Rome, it is relevant to reflect on marriage from an African Christian perspective at a time when many Catholic homosexuals are suffering due to disagreement on their place in the Church.
For several decades a cornerstone of the work undertaken by the religious order founded in India by Mother Teresa was finding safe homes for orphaned children. Thousands of destitute and abandoned children have met loving parents through adoptions arranged by the Missionaries of Charity.
VATICAN CITY - After nearly three weeks of intense discussion and debate, the Synod of Bishop's final document on the family was not expected to have any hard-hitting answers, a member of the drafting commission said.
The screen faded to black and as the music drifted into the evening air the audience sat in silence. When the lights came up in the movie theatre, two women were standing in front of the screen and the audience rose in applause.
TORONTO - As the Synod of Bishops on the Family draws to a close, students from campus chaplaincies across Ontario and Quebec are gathering at the Newman Centre Catholic Chaplaincy in Toronto to talk vocations, marriage and family.
All Saints (Year B) Nov. 1 (Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24; 1 John 3:1-5; Matthew 5:1-12a) What are we to make of the Book of Revelation in our own time? It is not a prediction of current events or a preview of the end of the world. It was written during a time of uncertainty and persecution, most likely to give hope and encouragement to struggling and persecuted Christian communities. This particular passage is filled with rich symbols, each one of them conveying an important message about God.
VATICAN CITY - The rows of seats in the Synod hall, where Catholic bishops are meeting to discuss family issues, are filled with bishops and cardinals — all male. To find any women, look to the back of the room.
October 23, 2015
Oct. 24 is United Nations Day and I think it’s time to make a real change.
As Windsor’s Assumption University continues along its path to rebirth, it now has a foothold in bioethics.
TORONTO - He’s been on the Toronto hip-hop scene for more than 10 years, innovatively blending R&B, jazz and alternative vocals and rhythms with his self-professed ability to “spit sick.” He’s rapped about a whole host of controversial issues, from pre-marital sex to drugs to abuse to the nature of success.
VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis announced he is establishing a new office for laity, family and life, which combines the responsibilities of two pontifical councils.
Pope Francis said on Friday (23rd October) that the times are changing and we Christians must change continually, freely but within the truth of the faith. He urged Christians to look at the signs of the times and warned them against succumbing to the comfort of conformity. The Pope’s remarks came during his homily at the morning Mass celebrated at the Santa Marta residence.
With growing concern about the plight of refugees, a Catholic parish in the City of Brockville, Ont., is coming together with two Anglican parishes to make a difference in the lives of three refugee families.