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Gospel of 7 August 2026 Matthew 16:24-28 At that time: Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? ... Read More

Thousands of young people from across Europe gathered in Assisi this morning for the 2026 Franciscan Youth Meeting. With temperatures over 37C it was one of the hottest days of the year. During Mass in the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, the Pope encouraged his young listeners to go "to the margins" of society, "where the injustice and arrogance of a few deny the dignity and dreams of many."... Read More

Archbishop Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, has reflected on the reintroduction of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, calling it "a matter of grave concern for all of us." Archbishop Longley said: "The dignity of human life and the precious gift of human life is very important, and indeed the preservation of life is something which is at the heart of what we share in common as... Read More

Erin Tsutsui is a 16-year-old student at Henry M Gunn High School in California. She visited the World Council of Churches on 5 August with a group from the League of Creative Minds. She shared her grandfather's story of surviving the nuclear bomb in Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. You've been growing up listening to your grandfather's stories. Could you tell me a little more? Tsutsui: My grandfather ... Read More

During a visit to Co Mayo, I enjoyed the experience of staying in the guest accommodation at the Fr Patrick Peyton Centre at Attymass, at the foot of the Ox Mountains and a few miles south of Ballina. I have written extensively here in the past about this very remarkable priest - (see Related Stories below). The Fr Patrick Peyton Centre is a distinctive heritage, spiritual and community centre - ... Read More

One of the greatest obstacles to building peace in the Holy Land is the ongoing expansion of illegal settlements which displace Palestinian families. As Palestinians are forced from their home, settlers are using this land to grow and export produce - such as dates and wine - across the world. We must stop the trading of all goods and services produced on land that has been illegally occupied. ... Read More

Centuries after the martyrs of the Reformation made their final journeys through the streets of London, a historian is set to follow their route once again, to shine a light on their remarkable stories. Author, journalist and broadcaster Joanna Bogle will lead a special guided 5km river walk 'In the Footsteps of the Martyrs' in London at 2.30pm on Sunday, 13th September in support of the Catholic ... Read More

Gospel of 6 August 2026 Matthew 17:1-9 At that time: Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good that we are here. I... Read More

The Holy See has announced that Pope Leo will make an Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru in November 2026. The Holy Father will visit Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida from 6 to 8 November; Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján from 8 to 11 November; and Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa from 11 to 17 November. Uruguay, where Catholics make up only 36% of the population, is the country ... Read More

A dancing Omer Meir Wellber conducted the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, one of Europe's leading orchestras, with brio, acuity and panache at the BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall last Friday. Wellber, a former Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted the DKam, as it is affectionately nicknamed, from the harpsichord for Haydn's Symphony No. 44 in E minor. Not for Wellber ... Read More

Most Rev William Nolan, Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow, and President of J&P Scotland together with the Moderator of the Church of Scotland General Assembly Rt Rev Gordon Kennedy and Rev Sarah Brown, convener of the Public Life and Social Justice of the Church of Scotland, led an ecumenical peace vigil on Saturday, outside HM Naval Base on the River Clyde to make a fresh call for a world fr... Read More

The Laurel and the Lantern: A Reflective Journey Through Britain's Poets Laureate at St Augustine's Abbey, Chilworth, on Friday, 18 September, will examine how writers from Wordsworth and Tennyson to Betjeman, Ted Hughes, Carol Ann Duffy and Simon Armitage have captured the spirit, struggles, beauty and aspirations of their age. Presented by Rt Rev Dom Paulinus Greenwood OSB, Dr Jo Russell and She... Read More

'Dialogue is not a tactic or tool, but it's a way of life - a journey of the heart that transforms everyone involved, the one who listens and the one who speaks.' These words of Pope Leo XIV, on display in the Prayer Room, encapsulate my experience of this years's National Justice and Peace Conference, 'Just Talk', which invited its participants into a process of 'deep and patient listening: refle... Read More

(Re: Ian Linden: Catholics and social cohesion - dealing with Islamophobia - Jul 25th, 2026) Dear Professor Linden, Thank you for your thoughtful and highly considered article...... I very much appreciated your balanced and courageous reflection on Islamophobia, social cohesion, and the place of Muslims within British society. Your appeal to both Government and the Church come at an important mom... Read More