Rev. Andrew Bennett offers timely wisdom that, as Paschal people, we can find hope even in the distressing report by think tank Cardus on Canada’s shocking loss of religious faith.

For much of the past 50 years the received wisdom has been that religious observance and belief is relentlessly declining in Canada. The secularization theory is that as a society progresses by becoming more educated and affluent, the ties to traditional religious belief inevitably decline. 

“Our manuscript has gone safe to the Printer.” So wrote Sheldon Vanauken (“Van”) in A Severe Mercy, after his beloved wife’s painful and young death.

There were 10.9 million self-identified Catholics in Canada in 2021, a sharp drop of two million from 2011, according to the latest census religion numbers. 

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty.” These words we utter as Christians quite often, but what do they mean? Although it appears to be an acknowledgement of God’s existence at first glance, it means so much more.

On my way to becoming a Catholic I kept hitting speed bumps. There were certain things the Church taught that I could not get my head around.

VANVOUVER - While she was executive director of the pro-life group Vancouver’s Life Community, Annabelle Chong heard many stories from faithful Catholics who had to be cautious what they said in the workplace when hot-button subjects like abortion, same-sex marriage and transgender rights came up for discussion.

Compelling new research out of Cardus and the Angus Reid Institute should encourage Canadian religious leaders to take a deeper look at why some people remain religiously faithful and why others do not, says Rev. Dr. Andrew Bennett.

On June 3, 1886, the Feast of the Ascension, St. Charles Lwanga and companions were martyred. They were pages for King Mwanga, a pedophilic and violent ruler in Uganda who forced himself onto his young attendants.

The best thing to say about a recent report to the minister of national defence from an advisory panel on systemic racism and discrimination in Canada’s military is that it’s not wholly bad.

There’s a moving van load of unpacking to be done with new data delivered by the Angus Reid Institute and Cardus think tank on the state of organized religion in Canada.

Are young people, particularly those aged 18-30, still interested in religion?

Writing last week in the Jesuit publication America, associate editor Jim McDermott posed a 30-word query that should become the reflection-starter of our time.

In many ways, we experienced an encore in 2021 of the difficulties of 2020, along with a batch of new adversities. However, January offers us a chance to recalibrate. We are invited and challenged to live each of this year’s 365 days as people of faith.