More and more regional and intrastate conflicts throughout the world have led to huge increases in the numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons Their pressing needs have in turn resulted in a corresponding growth in nongovernmental organizations that attempt to provide them with basic e
Valerie Martin rsquo s new novel is aptly titled The power of property mdash persons and things mdash drives the plot and illuminates the characters Captors become captives and lives are irrevocably changed by power struggles over property The novel rsquo s setting moves back and forth from plan
Pope John Paul II will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his election to the Chair of Peter on Oct 16 2003 That makes this a timely publication His papacy has been the most visible in history this pope ldquo reaches out across borders rdquo that are not just geographic but also social politi
Nobody likes a smart aleck Particularly if the person concerned is one of us one who seems to act as if she or he is in some way better than the rest Even if it is true we insist that that person should not flaunt it Today rsquo s readings all sketch the profile of a messenger of God someone c
Within the recent past the church has been tossed to and fro in storms of controversy Not one storm mdash many storms And not in one country mdash in many countries It has been the target of fierce persecution and it has also allowed evil to corrupt it from within Whether in circumstances of h
There were lots of unfamiliar faces at Mass that morningvisitors invited to share the day with their friends from the parish. Some of them were not Catholic, though that was hardly a surprise. In my part of the country, the polyglot Northeast, such family-church celebrations rarely are for Catholics
Bishop Apologizes, Avoids Prosecution in Abuse CasesIn an agreement to avoid criminal prosecution, Bishop Thomas J. O’Brien of Phoenix has given up some of his diocesan administrative duties and apologized for allowing priests he knew were suspected of sexual abuse to continue working with min