Bell ringing has a rich history, integrated into daily and liturgical life year-round, a tradition being rediscovered and appreciated by anthropologists, academics, musicians and an increasing number of ordinary people.
International
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Destitute South Africans and migrants risk their lives in illegal mines—and are exploited by criminal gangs
In the small town of Stilfontein, some 90 miles from the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, hundreds, possibly thousands, of illegal miners have been underground in an abandoned mine shaft for more than a month.
Posted inFaith, News
Pope Francis calls for end to foreign debt, death penalty ahead of Jubilee Year
Pope Francis has called on all nations to eliminate the death penalty, to divert a fixed percentage of arms spending to a global fund to fight hunger and climate change, and to cancel the international debt of developing nations.
Posted inPolitics & Society, The Weekly Dispatch
What will the fall of al-Assad mean for Syria’s ancient Christian community?
Many Syrians remain apprehensive about how religious minorities, including Christians, will be treated in a new political reality being established by a Sunni militia that is still listed as a terror organization by the U.S. State Department.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
How Ireland avoided a far-right surge and anti-incumbent backlash in recent election
When Irish people went to the polls on Nov. 29, there had been concerns that the nation would see a far-right surge in the Dáil, or parliament, in keeping with trends within the rest of Europe. But Ireland continues to be an outlier.
Posted inFaith, News
Pomp and presidents at the reopening of Notre Dame in Paris
Chilling rain and the “City of Lights” completely locked down due to high profile guests did not stop the crowds from arriving as close to Notre Dame Cathedral as possible for its inaugural Mass celebrated Dec. 8.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Quebec was once a Catholic stronghold. Now it’s a haven for New Age spirituality.
Quebec has played host to a number of cults and alternative religions over the years, from the Ant Hill Kids, the cruelly abused followers of Roch Thériault to the U.F.O. believers of the Raelian Church.
Posted inPolitics & Society, The Weekly Dispatch
In England and Wales, a bill to legalize assisted suicide faces Catholic opposition
U.K. faith leaders oppose the assisted dying bill: “We believe that a truly compassionate response to the end of life lies in the provision of high-quality palliative care services to all who need them.”
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Mozambique struggles to manage post-election unrest and a deadly insurgency
After another disputed election, street protests wrack Mozambique. while a northern province, Cabo Delgado, endures a deadly Islamist insurrection.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Border enforcement policies are effective—at driving up migrant deaths
Enforcement tactics do not in the end deter asylum seekers, who are typically fleeing life-threatening circumstances, but stricter enforcement does push border crossers to more dangerous paths.