Reflections on life, meaning and purpose

Ecumenical Patriarch, Mecca imam speak at dialogue conference (Vatican News)

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the imam of the Grand Mosque of Mecca, and the chief rabbi of Poland were among the keynote speakers at the KAICIID Global Dialogue Forum in Lisbon, where religious and political leaders have gathered to discuss peacebuilding, inclusive cities, and sacred ecology. Father Laurent Basanese, SJ, an official of the […]

Nuncio pays tribute to vibrancy of Catholic minorities in Arab nations (Fides)

In a wide-ranging reflection, Archbishop Eugene Nugent, the apostolic nuncio to Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, paid tribute to the vibrancy of the Catholic faith in Arab nations. “Perhaps in Europe we do not have the perception of how alive the Catholic Church really is in these predominantly Muslim countries, or even think that it barely […]

Pope blesses ‘voice of the unborn’ bell (Vatican News)

Pope Francis offered praise for a pro-life initiative, the “voice of the unborn” bell, and blessed it on May 15 in preparation for its use in Kazakhstan. The bell will “serve as a reminder of the importance of protecting human life from conception to natural death,” the Pope said. “One could see the enormous joy […]

The Met Gala and Modern Beauty

In 1948, the first Met Gala was held as an event to fundraise for one of New York’s finest museums. Since that time, it has turned into a mecca for Hollywood elites to showcase their finest—and most outrageous—garb. Widely considered one of the biggest fashion events of the year, the Met Gala is always an […]

The Whisky Priest and Jairus’ Daughters

Before the start of Mass in a Mexican town last week, a wounded American bishop looked into a sea of teenage girls who had, he’d been told, been hurt in inhumane ways. Three thousand or so girls stood before him at Villa de Las Niñas in blue skirts, white blouses, bobby socks, and black saddle […]