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June 2023

June 29

The moral stakes of whistleblowing

June 29, 2023

The June 16 death of Daniel Ellsberg again brings to the fore the morality of his release of the top-secret Pentagon Papers during the height of the Vietnam War. Did Ellsberg perform a morally good action in releasing documents detailing a long history of American deceit, lies and self-deception about a war which took the lives of up to three million Indochinese and 58,000 Americans? Or should he have upheld his oath to maintain the secrecy of confidential information?

For adult abuse victims, there is a place to turn

June 29, 2023

News broke recently that the Jesuits have dismissed the famed artist, Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik, from amongst their ranks. The dismissal resulted from his failure to obey orders to limit his travel as a result of allegations of sexual and psychological abuse levelled against him by several religious women.

The church of refuge for broken hearts

June 29, 2023

There is a quotation which has been on the Internet for years, attributed to many people, but the one I saw had Jacob Waldron’s name attached to it. It is entitled, “Church is Hard.” In it he says, “Church is hard for the person walking through the doors, afraid of judgment. Church is hard for the prodigal soul returning home, broken and battered by the world. Church is hard for the teenage girl, ashamed of her mistakes.”

June 30

Mideast exodus continues as Christians lose hope

June 30, 2023

Layal Nehme is drawing upon her background as a singer, songwriter and composer to remind the world of the plight of Christians and their continuing exodus from Iraq and Syria.

God's Word on Sunday: No good deed will go unnoticed

June 30, 2023

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) July 2 (2 Kings 4:8-12a, 14-16; Psalm 89; Romans 6:3-4, 8-11; Matthew 10:37-42) Throughout the Old Testament, acts of hospitality and kindness were often the setting for miracles and the granting of divine favours. The most memorable example was the hospitality granted by Abraham to the three angelic visitors at Mamre. On that occasion, one of the visitors promised that when they returned Sarah would have a son.

McCarrick not competent to stand trial

June 30, 2023

Disgraced former cardinal Theodore McCarrick is not competent to stand trial in Massachusetts on charges that he sexually abused a teenage boy nearly 50 years ago, according to the prosecution's expert brought in to examine the now 92-year-old.

Our churches must serve peace, Russian Orthodox leader tells cardinal

June 30, 2023

The Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches should join efforts to promote peace before threats of a "major global armed conflict," the head of the Russian Orthodox Church told Pope Francis' envoy on a peace mission to Moscow.

Greed, selfishness stand in the way of peace, Pope Francis tells Orthodox leaders

June 30, 2023

All wars are "utter disasters" for everyone, especially families, children, the elderly, refugees, communities and creation, Pope Francis said.