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His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, Patriarch Emeritus of Jerusalem writes: After a year of constant war, as the cycle of death continues unabated, we feel the need as Christians and as citizens to seek out the hope that comes from our faith. First, we must admit that we are exhausted, paralyzed by grief and fear. We are staring into the darkness. The entire region is in the grip of bloodshed that contin... Read More

At least 23 people were killed yesterday, Monday 14 October, in a bomb attack on a building in the predominantly Christian village of Aitou, near Zgharta, in the far north of Lebanon. Local sources report that the building in question was probably already known to the Israelis, because in 2006, during the last war between Israel and Hezbollah, it was rented by the Hezbollah-affiliated television s... Read More

Fr Hugh Mackenzie shares a couple of angles upon why the Church opposes legalising assisted suicide or euthanasia, inspired by some philosophy and some deathbed ministry at St John's Hospice. Human beings are good beings. This is true even if they do bad actions, but especially if they have bad suffering. To be alive is to have an importance. This basic value is not earned but received along with... Read More

Tomorrow, Wednesday, a bill will be introduced into the Westminster Parliament to propose a change in the law to permit assisted suicide, and on Thursday the Final Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying will be discussed by Oireachtas members in Dáil Éireann. Archbishop Eamon Martin said: "For all those who cherish a culture of life across these islands, the introduction of laws to pe... Read More

Gospel of 15 October 2024 Luke 11:37-41 Jesus had just finished speaking when a Pharisee invited him to dine at his house. He went in and sat down at the table. The Pharisee saw this and was surprised that he had not first washed before the meal. But the Lord said to him, 'Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickednes... Read More

On Sunday, October 13, 2024, Mgr William Shomali, General Vicar, presided over a Mass at the Monastery of the Comboni Sisters in Jerusalem, in celebration of the feast of St Daniel Comboni, founder of the order. Concelebrating was Mgr Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo, Mgr Carlos Marfa, several priests, and religious sisters from various orders, in the presence of the faithful. In his homily, Mgr Shomali... Read More

Artists are invited to submit artworks that explore faith and divinity while provoking the viewer to think differently about how these have traditionally been portrayed. Artworks must be two dimensional and either representative of, or alluding to, persons or deities from any religion and from any era. A panel of judges, advised by multifaith and art experts, will award three prizes and select a... Read More

The UK's churches provide essential health-related support services that would cost billions of pounds a year to deliver, 'The House of Good: Health', new research from the National Churches Trust shows. From youth groups to food banks, from drug and alcohol addiction support to mental health counselling, churches directly provide or host a growing list of vital health related services for people ... Read More

In response to recent enquiries about materials used in the new Lectionary, Pierpaolo Finaldi, Publisher and CEO of the Catholic Truth Society writes: The Introduction to the Lectionary states: "Since, in liturgical celebrations the books too serve as signs and symbols of the sacred, care must be taken to ensure that they truly are worthy and beautiful." This means using the finest materials possi... Read More

Professor Dr John Wijngaards writes: During these opening days of the latest Roman session of the synod, Bishop Anthony Randazzo of Broken Bay, Australia, has given a press conference. He denounced what he said is an overly western agenda obsessed with 'niche issues' such as women's ordination. In his view it diverts attention from more pressing topics. Bishop Randazzo, who is president of the Fe... Read More

Pope Francis launched the Synod on Synodality in October 2021. Now, in October 2024, we have reached its final stage. On 1st October, the evening before the Synod opened, the Margaret Beaufort Institute (MBI) organized the webinar: 'The Synod on Synodality, 2024: How Did We Get Here? Where Are We Going?' The first part provided a broad historical and theological framework to consider the significa... Read More

World Mission Sunday, on 20 October, celebrates a profound truth: we are all cherished children of God; united as one family by his unconditional love. This day of prayer, solidarity, and giving unites Catholics worldwide in sharing the transformative Good News that everyone deserves to hear - we are all invited to God's banquet, whoever and wherever we are. World Mission Sunday is organised in ev... Read More

Gospel of 14 October 2024 Luke 11:29-32 The crowds got even bigger, and Jesus addressed them: 'This is a wicked generation; it is asking for a sign. The only sign it will be given is the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. On Judgement day the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation and condemn them,... Read More

Following a series of recent incidents in which at least five UN peacekeepers were injured after coming under fire from the Israeli army, Pope Francis has appealed for the troops to be "respected." Nearly 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 countries are stationed in Lebanon, alongside around 800 civilian staff. Writing on X on Sunday, Pope Francis said: I continue to follow events in the Middle East wi... Read More