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No fear in violent times – Bishop Wiertz’s letter for Advent
Bishop Frans Wiertz digs into the topic of fear and evil in his letter for Advent. His opinion of modern society is not overly positive, but he finds the antidote in the promise of the angel to the...
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“Precious in His eyes”– Cardinal de Kesel’s homily at the consecration of...
Taking a cue from the new bishop’s episcopal motto, Cardinal Jozef de Kesel spoke in his homily for the consecration of Bishop Lode Aerts of Bruges about the love of God, but also about the conversion...
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“It was night”– Archbishop Koch’s reflection after the terror attack
On Tuesday evening, the faiths of Berlin came together to commemorate the dead and wounded of the terror attack on the Christmas market adjacent to the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche on Monday. In...
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“Seeing with the eyes of the Lord”– Christmas message from the bishops of...
In their Christmas message, the archbishop and auxiliary bishops of Utrecht look back at the Holy Year of Mercy, urging us not to let the fruits of that Year go to waste. We should always try to look...
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Hopes and realities – Bishop Bode’s Communion utopia
Bishop Franz-Josef Bode of Osnabrück has been making some minor headlines with his comments about opening up the reception of the sacrament of Holy Communion to non-Catholic spouses of Catholic...
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No opposition in Amoris laetita, Cardinal Müller says
In recent comments published by Vatican Insider, Cardinal Gerhard Müller has been quite clear about his thoughts about the Four Cardinals’ Dubia. Like many on both sides of the debate (those who think...
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Necessary clarification- of Amoris laetitia or of Tradition?
I am becoming increasingly convinced that Amoris laetitia itself does not need a clarification, but the Tradition in a way does. It is much like what Cardinal Müller has long been saying: the Apostolic...
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Not only fishers, but also fish
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” A line from today’s Gospel reading (Matt. 4:12-23), and a very familiar one at that. Jesus comes to the shores of the Sea of Galilee at the very...
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The Good News – Pope Francis’ Message for World Communications Day 2017
Always an interesting publication for those in the Catholic blogging business, Pope Francis published his Message for World Communications Day today. He calls for a break away from focussing solely on...
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A Belgian encyclical – updating Populorum Progressio
In March of 1967, Blessed Pope Paul VI published his fifth encyclical, “on the development of peoples”. Populorum Progressio discussed the development of man, and especially the problems that were...
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Prayer, charity and the sacraments – Bishop Hoogmarten’s letter for Lent
In his letter for Lent, published on 27 February, Bishop Patrick Hoogmartens of Hasselt outlines the main ingredients for a fruitful Lent: prayer, charity and the sacraments (especially the sacrament...
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“Share your faith!”– Bishop Wiertz’ letter for Lent
In what is most likely his last letter for Lent, Bishop Frans Wiertz of Roermond not only discusses a topic he has underlined before – that we are a part of the worldwide Church which is now on the...
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Answering like Mary – Cardinal De Kesel upon taking possession of his title...
On Saturday, the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, Cardinal Jozef De Kesel was in Rome, to take possession of the title church granted to him upon his creation as cardinal. The Basilica do Santi...
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“He is with us!” Bishop Van Looy looks at ahead to the turning point of Easter
In a letter for Easter, published yesterday, Bishop Luc Van Looy of Ghent presents a hopeful message about the turning point that is Easter, and especially Maundy Thursday, the day, this year on 13...
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Christus vincit! An Easter wish
As ever, while Lent sometimes seemed to creep by, the holy days of the Easter Triduum passed in a whirlwind of events, activities and emotions. From the intimacy and promise of the Last Supper, via...
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The protective hand of the mother – Dutch dioceses consecrated to Our Lady’s...
On Saturday afternoon the Dutch bishops consecrated their dioceses to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, coinciding with the centenary of the first apparition of Mary in Fatima and the tail-end of Pope...
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Outreach – Bishop de Korte explains why his cathedral hosts a prayer service...
Recently trickling into international Catholic media was the planned ecumenical prayer service at ‘s-Hertogenbosch’s cathedral basilica of St. John the Evangelist, planned expressly to open the annual...
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60 years a priest – Cardinal Simonis looks back and ahead
Congratulations to Cardinal Adrianus Johannes Simonis, who yesterday celebrated the 60th anniversary of his ordination in Utrecht’s cathedral of St. Catherine. The 85 year-old cardinal was archbishop...
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Consistory dawning – Amid controversy, one cardinal-to-be stays at home
Tomorrow, Pope Francis will create his fourth batch of cardinals. A small group of five this time (the smallest since Blessed Paul VI’s creation of four cardinals in 1977), but one unique in its...
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Cardinal Meisner’s spiritual testament
In 2011 Joachim Cardinal Meisner wrote his spiritual testament. Cardinal Woelki read it out in the memorial Vespers on Wednesday evening. Below is my translation of the original German text. “Dear...
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