‘Let China Love You’: Building relationships with Catholic China
‘Let China love you.” This advice, given to me in 1974 by Linus Lombard, a Passionist priest, changed my life. As relevant today as it was then, this radical vision, suggested by the 20-year veteran (1934–54) of the Passionist mission to West Hunan, remains key to understanding Chi
Living the China Dream: Can Chinese leaders manage an ascendant Middle Kingdom?
Catholic Press Association award winner for Best In-Depth Writing: “Wonderfully in-depth piece over a very real but inaccessible topic: China.”
Of Many Things
Of Many Things
The Society of Jesus and China have a long and complicated history, one that goes back to the very beginnings of the order. One of the co-founders of the Jesuits, the great St. Francis Xavier, died during his attempt to reach the Chinese mainland. Thirty years later, in 1582, Matteo Ricci, S.J., suc
Letters
State of the Question: Excerpts from online commentaries on “A Big Heart Open to God,” by Antonio Spadaro, S.J. (9/30)
Opening DoorsThe Francis factor, so to speak, is his focus on opening doors. How will anyone be open to Catholicism if they cannot get past knowledge of some of the prohibitions, without knowledge of the context, without invitation, without a love that compels them radiating from Christians?Kathryn
Editorials
The Strength to Care
Are we allowing mass violence to become “the new normal”?
Faith in Focus
A Delicate Mission: The new evangelization in an ancient land
What does it mean to evangelize in the 21st century? A Christian teacher in Taiwan reflects.
One of Us: How a death row inmate changed my outlook on life
In the 15 years since he first asked for our prayers, David has faced three execution dates.
Ideas
Hail, Star of the Sea: One museum sheds light on English Catholicism
One museum sheds light on English Catholicism
Books
‘A Long Piece of Work’
In December 1944 as winter arrived across bomb-ravaged Europe the Allied armies striving to crush Hitler rsquo s monstrous war machine had cause for optimism Though bloody and chaotic the D-Day invasion six months earlier had been a success American and British troops were advancing through Fran
Incomplete Philosopher
In his very first sentence Denys Turner professor of historical theology at Yale University tells us that in his portrait of that most Catholic of Catholic philosopher-theologians St Thomas Aquinas 1225-74 ldquo I have not until undertaking this work given more careful consideration to an i
Which Jesus is Ours?
Voltaire remarked that all Christology is somehow autobiographical Geza Vermes born into a Hungarian Jewish family converted to Christianity political refugee Catholic priest who later returned to the Judaism of his ancestors first professor of Jewish studies at Oxford died on May 8 2013 at
Camus at War
This short book makes available for the first time in English a series of articles in French compiled in 1958 by Albert Camus from his writings on Algeria from 1939 to 1958 Camus was born and raised in Algeria a pied noir a member of the minority European community his family of humble backgroun
How Everything Hangs
A new Darwin indeed one who does a better job of explaining who and what we are than even Sigmund Freud Someone who offers a key to all the mythologies And even in this age of secular modernity one who offers an intellectual synthesis that actually holds faith reason and science together That
A Generous, Lovely Champion
In April 1938 the British writer Stephen Spender sent a letter to George Orwell asking how Orwell could justify attacking Spender for his politics and then mdash after the two writers had met mdash changing his attitude and treating Spender in a more amicable and generous manner Orwell responded w
The Muse Cannot Be Leashed
Without a Claim Grace Schulman rsquo s dazzling seventh poetry collection immerses us in a richly textured world where ldquo dread-and-joy rdquo are neighbors ldquo Charles Street Psalm rdquo and nothing is truly ours ldquo We rent borrow or share even our bodies and never own all that
A Luscious Account
Edna O rsquo Brien had a dream In it she is a very young girl on her way to school when she trips and falls on the road gashing her forehead open Out spills her brain which becomes a spinning top that passers-by young and old dance and trample upon Reality for O rsquo Brien…
Poetry
The Eternal Ingénue
Convince the Dauphin now, dear Joan, convinceHim now; forget the peasant business. WageCharm on him: boy-cut hair and virgin grace.Assert his strength to raise the English siege.The scene is mandatory, so the spellOnly awaits your touching. They are realYour voices: stop to listen, Joan. They callTo
The Word
An Annoying Faith
lsquo Hey want to hear the most annoying sound in the world rdquo That is Jim Carrey rsquo s character Lloyd speaking in the 1994 comedy ldquo Dumb and Dumber rdquo He goes on to demonstrate the world rsquo s most annoying sound Some people might find a lowbrow comedy like this as a…
Columns
Reading Nature Thoreauly
One puts down Thoreau inspired, resolved to live more deliberately and more authentically.
R.I.P. Jacqueline Pascal
The life of the sister of philosopher Blaise Pascal is a monument to the struggle of women.
Current Comment
Current Comment
A Choice for Peace? Germany’s Future; Let’s Get Reciprocal
Signs Of the Times
News Briefs
On Sept. 30 Pope Francis announced he would declare his two predecessors Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II saints at a single ceremony on April 27. • In the largest donation in Georgetown University's history, the alumnus Frank H. McCourt Jr. has contributed $100 million to create the McC
October Push for Immigration Reform
Dozens of events around the country took place Oct. 5 as part of the March for Immigrant Dignity and Respect. Labor unions, churches and other social justice organizations have scheduled events to rally supporters of comprehensive immigration reform as a lead-in to a day-long rally and concert in Wa
In Homs: Hunger ‘Knocking on the Door’
A Dutch Jesuit in the besieged Syrian city of Homs said those who remain are facing shortages of food and fuel. “Disease has captured some of us and is knocking on the door of others,” Frans van der Lugt, S.J., wrote in a letter released by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need
Catholics Marry, Just Not at Church
In 2011 only 163,775 marriages were celebrated in U.S. Catholic churches.
On Syria, Iran and More: Small Steps to World Peace
The U.N. 68th General Assembly ended on Sept. 30 in New York with some notable successes.
Dramatic Decline Continues in Child Labor
The global number of child laborers has fallen by a third since 2000.
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts