For me, Communion is holy and very real, a connection to God and to God’s people. As a hospital chaplain, though, my job is to support the spirituality of patients and families right where they are. 

Physician-assisted suicide can seem like an easy fix to a health care system reluctant to deal with end-of-life issues. But there are other options, including hospice care, that patients deserve to know about.

Is hell empty? Pope Francis hopes so. Among the thinkers of the past century who speculated it could be so was Hans Urs von Balthasar, a favorite of the past two popes and a prominent theologian of his time.

“A Still Small Voice” provides clear-eyed glimpses into the thorny work and religious versatility required of chaplaincy.

Death and remembrance show us a profound interconnectedness between individuals, bridging diverse lives through shared memories.

Friends and colleagues remembered Richard Gaillardetz, who died on Tuesday, as a perceptive theologian, mining in his talks, articles and books the ecclesiology of Vatican II and Pope Francis’ vision for the church. They also noted the powerful witness of his reflections on his final months of life.