Have you ever been asked why you confess sins to a priest? In discussing the Catholic faith with non-Catholics, the doctrine concerning confessing one’s sins to a priest often arises. Indeed, in my experience, the Sacrament of Reconciliation ranks right up there with Marian Dogmas among the Church’s teachings that prompt the most questions from those inquiring about the Catholic Faith.

The following objections are those I most often encounter. Here is how I answer them.
Objection #1 – Only God can forgive sin.

At the Angelus Francis appealed for “reconciliation and peace” for the Holy City. Then he warns, “It is better a Church that is not afraid of getting its hands dirty, rather than a Church of “pure ones” who wants to judge who belongs to the Kingdom of God and who does not”.

Most Rev. Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, celebrated Mass at the Martyrs of Jordan Church on Sunday July 23, marking the conclusion of the 6th Canon Law Conference for lawyers which convened at the Movenpick Hotel, Dead Sea. The conference was attended by Catholic bishops, judges, lawyers and pastors from Jordan, Palestine, the Galilee, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and experts in law from Italy.

The parables of Jesus are not too remote from our own daily experience; at least it’s not difficult to understand them. Many are about household activities, the woman putting yeast into the flour, planting of seeds, harvesting weeds and wheat, being at a banquet. All these images can resonate either directly or indirectly with our own lives, and that’s the point of them, they are messages for us too!

A monument in honour of murdered French priest will be unveiled next week following a televised Mass

It is almost a year since Fr Jacques Hamel, an 85-year-old French priest, was brutally murdered by two Islamic terrorists while saying Mass. 

We help ourselves by following God, doing good works in faith, seeking righteousness and His will

It's the most-quoted Bible verse that isn't actually in the Bible! My theory is that it likely originated from typically American pragmatism: the outlook that “what works is right” and (more generally); the can-do, self-reliant, nothing-is-impossible, rugged individualist American ethos. Pragmatism is no test of truth, but it has truthful elements in it.

Our Lady of Knock 

Our Lady of Knock was seen by 15 residents of Knock, a poor, small village in County Mayo, Ireland, on Aug. 21, 1879, outside of the Church of St. John the Baptist. St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist accompanied her; there was also an altar with a lamb and cross on it. In this apparition, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to all present but remained silent. A prayer to Our Lady of Knock includes the words, “Our Lady of Knock, Queen of Ireland, you gave hope to your people in a time of distress and comforted them in sorrow.” Pray for us Our Lady.

On Friday, July 14, two Israeli police officers and three Arab Israeli gunmen were killed within Al Haram Al Sharif compound.

This raises the eternal question of Jerusalem and the management of holy space.

Sadly, religion, and the way we worship, is being politicised and used as a means of posture.

Can the people of Jerusalem — the living, breathing city, not just a city of heritage — ever live in peace without a clear definition of the management of holy space in Jerusalem?

I’m certain of this: if we all were to pray the Lenten prayer of the great St. Ephrem the Syrian, Father and Doctor of the Church, we would bring about the coming Kingdom of Heaven with great speed.

He was a culture warrior who by some accounts ended life as hermit. He was a prolific apologist who also composed memorable hymns. He is a revered figure in the Eastern Churches, and one of the very early Doctors of the Church as named by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

The African country is hostage to a regime since 1993. The Daughters of Saint Anne, who require some concrete help, bring the Gospel and lots of Hope to this dramatic situation.