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What does a diplomat's musings have in common with a Homeric epic? Fresh from seeing the block-buster film, The Odyssey, I recently attended with curiosity the launch of diplomat Paul Grey's memoir, whose title echoes the Greek epic. Perhaps it was simply a history of his lengthy travels, I thought. Unlike the blockbuster, Sir Paul Grey's book is not new, despite the name. He died in 1990, b... Read More

Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time Lectionary: 112 1. The invitation of God The enforced discipline of recuperation after my own operation has given me deeper benefits than simply the healing process with its periods of physiotherapy, exercise, relaxation and rest ( though I admit this last wasn't always painless!) There are the moments of thoughtful and quiet prayer , often wordless, what Simone ... Read More

Chee Yan Shek, Operations Manager with the The Ecological Conversion Group writes: The We Believe Festival is a unique event that brings Catholics from all across the UK to come together as the body of Christ. As a small independent charity responding to Laudato Si', we were keen to take up the opportunity to become a partner for this year's We Believe Festival. Our mission at the Ecological Conv... Read More

Gospel of 1 August 2026 Matthew 5:13-19 At that time: Jesus said to his disciples, 'You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 'You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket... Read More

Today's cities are filled with contrasts. They are places of freedom and opportunity, as well as anonymity and loneliness for many who live in them. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of urban life, millions of people seek deeper meaning for their lives, often without finding it. This reality is especially concerning for those living on the margins and for those who feel invisible in the midst ... Read More

Most pilgrims to the Holy Land will have visited the Shepherds' Fields, in Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem. These fields and ancient caves are where, according to tradition, the shepherds heard the angels singing on the night Jesus was born in Bethlehem. For many years pilgrims have come here to pray. But a new illegal Israeli settlement outpost, 'Shadma Yitziv,' is being rapidly constructed in the Us... Read More

On Friday morning, July 31, Pope Leo received Patti Smith, the singer-songwriter, poet, and artist, widely recognized as the 'Godmother of Punk' for her pioneering fusion of rock and poetry that shaped the punk movement. Like the Pope she is originally from Chicago. Fr Antionio Spadaro SJ, from the Dicastery for Culture and Education, commented on X: "When that door opened, something happened… a... Read More

The new Chief Executive of the Cardinal Hume Centre, George O'Neill, has sent the following letter to new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham MP, responding to his commitment to end rough sleeping: Dear Prime Minister, Welcome to Westminster. For forty years the Cardinal Hume Centre has worked alongside young people, children and families facing homelessness. Last year, just a short walk from Downing S... Read More

Priests Against Genocide IRL-UK, part of an international network spanning 62 countries and comprising more than 2,500 Catholic priests, bishops and cardinals, today issued an open letter to the Irish Taoiseach, Tánaiste and the Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), demanding urgent action to stop the CBI from transferring approval of the 2026 Israel Bonds prospectus to any EU member sta... Read More

Deacon Mark Paine writes: The Archbishop of Canterbury's address to the General Synod on affirming neurodiversity deserves a wide hearing beyond the Church of England. While addressed to the Anglican Communion, its challenge reaches every Christian Church, including our own. Her message was a simple but profound one. Neurodivergent people are not simply to be accommodated or included; they have gi... Read More

The Hope Border Institute and the Diocese of El Paso, led by Bishop Mark Seitz, announced yesterday an expansion of humanitarian support for migrants and asylum seekers in Ciudad Juárez through the Border Refugee Assistance Fund. Working in partnership with Jesuit Refugee Service Mexico and Derechos Humanos Integrales en Acción (DHIA), the initiative will provide emergency shelter, health care, ... Read More

Gospel of 31 July 2026 Luke 14:25-33 At that time: Great crowds accompanied Jesus, and he turned and said to them, 'If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a... Read More

In a brief interview with American broadcaster NBC yesterday, after the Peace Concert with Andrea Bocelli and the international children's choir at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo highlighted the importance of immigration to the history of the United States, and said he hoped to visit the country of his birth in the next couple of years. Asked what he thought of being the first American Pope, Pope Leo ... Read More

Amid growing concern for the survival of Christianity in Iraq, the country's bishops are set to assess a new scheme helping Christian families who fled jihadist terror to return. Chaldean Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the country's bishops will be meeting next month to discuss the government plan aimed at encouraging Christians to come back to Iraq. The... Read More