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Pope calls for dialogue on world stage in Christmas message
Pontiff looks to soothe global conflicts ranging from family feuds to threats of war in his speechPope Francis has used his Christmas Day message to call for dialogue on the world stage as he looks to resolve conflicts ranging from family feuds to thre…
A moment that changed me: when my beloved teacher taught us about mortal sin
I had impressed Mr Priamo with my passion for winning. In questioning his certainty I learned the eternal value of doubt and ambiguityEven before I entered his class, I knew Mr Priamo, the sixth-grade teacher at my Catholic elementary school, as the sm…
Quakers… in… SPACE… (and time, and alternate realities)
The November issue of the American Quaker magazine Friends Journal is dedicated to speculative fiction and sci-fi. If you’re a fan of The Dazzle of Day, read on! Here’s the introductory essay by Quaker SFF writers Annalee Flower Horne and Hilary B. Bis…
‘We are protected by prayers’: the sects hampering southern Africa’s vaccine rollout
With millions of followers, the stance of some Apostolic church leaders threatens to undermine fight against CovidHymnal melodies reverberate around the hillside in Kuwadzana, a Harare suburb. On a blisteringly hot Saturday, members of the Apostolic ch…
The Guardian view on sexual abuse and the Catholic church: contrition is not enough | Editorial
An investigation into paedophile priests in France reveals an institution in desperate need of reformThe findings of an inquiry into sexual abuse and paedophilia in the French Catholic church, published last week, are difficult to read and painful to c…
Archbishop apologises for steamy video filmed in Spanish cathedral
Video shows rapper C Tangana and singer Nathy Peluso grind against each other inside Toledo CathedralThe archbishop of Toledo has apologised to offended Roman Catholics after one of Spain’s most famous cathedrals was used as a location for a raunchy vi…
United or divided: what is the future of Ireland? | Letter
Guardian readers respond to Colm Tóibín’s essay on the island’s political futureColm Tóibín’s comparison of Sinn Féin, a pro-EU, pro-immigration, centre-left party, to Ukip, an anti-EU, anti-immigration, rightwing party, is decidedly muddled, like much…
‘It was unheard of’: UK’s first cathedral girls’ choir marks 30 years
Current and former members of Salisbury Cathedral’s landmark choir to sing together at gala“Singing is definitely a big part of me,” said Mary, an 11-year-old Salisbury Cathedral chorister. “I love being part of the girls’ choir. If girls weren’t allow…
French Catholic church expresses ‘shame’ after report finds 330,000 children were abused
Church asks for forgiveness as it accepts findings of ‘appalling’ abuse by clergy and lay members over 70 yearsThe French Catholic church has expressed “shame” and pleaded for forgiveness, after a devastating report found that at least 330,000 children…