Anna Farrow
Red Wednesday highlights Christian persecution worldwide
Aid to the Church in Need marked Red Wednesday Nov. 15, drawing attention to the worldwide plight of Christians suffering as religious persecution and intimidation of religious minorities becomes a daily occurrence in Canadian cities.
Church as ‘light of nations’
In the first of what organizers hope will be an annual event, the St. Monica Institute will host a Nov. 11 conference that will explore the theme of the Church as “a light for nations.”
Tale of two chaplains
Richard Bernier was only sworn in as a military chaplain six months ago while Fr. Brad Sweet retired as “padre” on Oct. 19, but the two men share a common approach to their service in the armed forces.
Two sides of integralism, never shall they meet
On Oct. 26, two American professors on opposite ends of a buzzy political philosophy called “Catholic integralism” gave lectures to separate, eager audiences at McGill University. Though the men are more than primed for a public sparring, Montreal didn’t prove to be a site for Adrian Vermeule and Kevin Vallier to meet in the ring.
Consecrated virgins commit to the ultimate groom
A woman standing in a church wearing a white dress and veil is an instantly recognizable image, but for a small yet growing number of Catholic women, the groom that awaits them at the altar is not a nervous young man but Jesus Himself.
Safe-injection site slated for former Catholic house
Benedict Labre House, a Montreal non-profit that was once a Catholic “house of hospitality,” is at the centre of controversy over plans to operate a novel form of supervised injection site (SIS) at its new centre meters from a day-care and elementary school.
Military’s ‘inclusive’ directive excludes God
A top-level directive ordering military chaplains to be gender-sensitive and include atheists in “spiritual reflections” on Remembrance Day is sparking unexpected emotional backlash, says Bishop Scott McCaig of the Military Ordinariate of Canada.
Newman chaplain answers ‘call within a call’
It is a long way from his native Igboland in Nigeria to the Newman Centre at McGill University, but Fr. Anthony Atansi finds himself as “at home” in one as the other.
Jerusalem Latin Patriarch’s words stand out
On the same day the Toronto Board of Rabbis pleaded with their co-religionists to show public solidarity, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, offered himself as one such sign.
Canada has strong presence at Synod
Relative to its population, Canada is punching above its weight at the Synod on Synodality, currently in its second week in Rome.