Love is all you need? A United Church of Christ minister, Chuck Currie writes here at the HuffPo about religious freedom. He disagrees with the recent moves by some Christians to have the freedom to not purchase certain types of contraceptives for employees and he does not want them to have the freedom to hire and fire who they want in their organizations. Still, Reverend Chuck says he is in favor of religious freedom. And I think they fundamentally misunderstand... Read more

When I say this is a prophecy I don’t want to suggest that I have had some sort of supernatural vision. This is not a prophecy in that sense, but a prophecy because prophets not only sometimes have supernatural revelations, but they are people who are also able to see the big picture, understand the times and circumstances and know the past so they can therefore predict the future. So here is my prediction: the vocations crisis in the Catholic... Read more

  This article on church architecture challenges modern Catholic Church architecture. What is it all about anyway? What is a church for? Architects will quibble about the “form follows function” dictum, but assuming that there is at least some truth to it, we can then ask, “What is a church for?” If we are being merely practical about it, a church is for people to gather for divine worship. Therefore the seating should be comfortable. Everyone should be able to... Read more

Here is my latest article for ZENIT asking whether admitting married men to the priesthood will solve the crisis in vocations. It would certainly seem, at first glance, to solve a lot of problems, not only in the developed countries where, arguably, the mandatory vow of celibacy is one of the greatest deterrents to increased vocations, but it would also be a great help in Africa where celibacy is culturally unheard of. It might also help to solve some problems of... Read more

…is a complaint we too often hear. But why is that and what’s to be done about it? Part of the problem is that we live in a high energy entertainment culture. People go and sit down together and they shift into an audience/consumer mindset. Subconsciously it’s like they have settled down to watch TV, attend a sports event or go to a movie. They want to be stimulated and entertained. Their involvement level is very low. Worship is a... Read more

I was visiting my dentist, Dr Payne the other day, and while sitting in the chair with my mouth full of machinery and his fingers I was musing about dentistry and the devil. This is not to compare Dr Payne to the devil. He, you will see, is much more like Jesus. But I am ahead of myself. I have been meaning to point out to some people close to me that not going to Mass on Sunday is rather... Read more