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Pope Francis and fraternity

In the coverage of the passing of Pope Francis to eternal life, surprisingly little has been said about an important aspect of Pope Francis’s social teaching – fraternity. This was the theme of his second social encyclical, Fratelli tutti. It is an important theme because it links the pastoral, spiritual, theological and social teaching of the late pope. The title of Fratelli tutti in English is “Brothers All”, and it is subtitled “On Fraternity and Social Friendship”.

How the march of assisted suicide devalues the lives of those who need our care

Recent media coverage promoting assisted dying clearly demonstrates a significant problem with perceptions on the current proposals to change the law. To garner support for assisted dying, media stories and celebrity interviews already refer to situations that lie well beyond the scope of the proposed assisted dying legislation. As a result, we may be marching towards the inevitable expansion of assisted dying to include death on request, based on feelings of pity, and in situations not confined to the request of the patient.

When words lose their meaning, people will lose their lives

One of the areas of work of F. A. Hayek was the evolution and use of language. He noted that Confucius was reported to have said: “when words lose their meaning, people will lose their liberty.” And Hayek described the profound impact on culture and politics of the ability of intellectuals to use old words and give them new meanings. Sometimes, and misleadingly, those meanings were the opposite of their classical definitions. Unfortunately, we can see this phenomenon today when it comes to life issues.

Crisis of Faith in Justice: A British Catholic’s Courageous Struggle for Freedom in Hong Kong Trial

A devoted Catholic and British citizen finds himself on trial under China’s sweeping national security law in Hong Kong, all for standing up for the promises made by the UK.

The Relational Church: Our Calling in Dark Times

Jenny Sinclair is Founder and Director of Together for the Common Good. This is an edited version of her talk, ‘The Relational Church: Our Calling in Dark Times’ given at Hinsley Hall, Leeds, on 1 December 2023. Jenny was guest speaker for the Northern Diaconate Formation Partnership’s training weekend. This summary was first published on Independent Catholic News.

Human Rights – on the 75th Anniversary of the UN Declaration

“Following the 75^th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10^th December 2023, Bishop Stephen Wright from the Department for Social Justice of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales issued a brief explanation of the Christian origins of human rights and a reflection on the state of human rights at the current time. Bishop Stephen writes:

Unpicking stereotypes about diversity

The modern mantra of “equality, diversity and inclusion” (EDI) is proclaimed with alacrity in the corporate and education worlds. This is an important agenda, if understood correctly, but the phrase is often used to close down rather than open up discussions.

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