Jesuits in Belgium wanted to launch a new school that would reach less-affluent communities, but they were also keenly interested in connecting with “people from different cultural and religious backgrounds.”
Europe
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Pope Francis: Remembering the Holocaust is ‘a duty’
During his visit to Poland in 2016, the pope visited the Auschwitz death camp, where he prayed in silence and met with survivors of the Holocaust.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
As Dutch parishes close, some Catholics just quit going to church
With 55% of parishes having closed, attendance at Mass in the Netherlands is continuing to drop, with “peak secularization” yet to come as even more parishes close.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Germany’s synodal assembly is a step to rebuilding church’s credibility
Catholic leaders in Germany have compiled responses from lay Catholics in areas related to who holds power in the church, sexual morals, the role of priests and the place of women in church offices in preparation for an upcoming synodal assembly to debate church reforms.
Posted inFaith, Short Take
Joan of Arc has been a saint for 100 years. Her exploitation continues.
The far-right nationalists who have used Joan of Arc as a symbol are missing her significance, writes the author of the novel “Saint Joan of New York.”
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Burying Germany’s war dead with dignity is a delicate work of mercy
Locating, identifying and burying these remains is no easy task and has been met with opposition for decades. Strong resentments are still present in countries whose people were victimized by the German army during World War II.
Posted inExplainer, Politics & Society
Explainer: Is the Iran nuclear deal totally dead now?
In response to the U.S. attack that killed Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, Iran has announced it will enrich uranium beyond the restrictions of the 2015 nuclear deal.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Review: ‘The Sacrament’ tells a searing story about abuse in the Catholic Church
The horrors of abuse remain offstage, barely spoken of, yet the entire book is haunted by them.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Notre Dame Cathedral to miss first Christmas in centuries
Notre Dame kept Christmas going even during two world wars — a beacon of hope amid the bloodshed. Yet an accidental fire in peacetime finally stopped the Paris cathedral from celebrating Midnight Mass this year, for the first time in over two centuries.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
After Boris gets Brexit done, what’s next for Britain?
As dawn broke after polling day, it was clear that the Boris Johnson earthquake had shattered the “red wall” of Labour strongholds across north Wales and in England’s northwest, Midlands and northeast.