Articles — Fr. Raymond J. de Souza

There is a reasonable way forward, both in terms of rooting out corruption in the Church and restoring a measure of harmony.

Newman House ManagerSeptember 4, 2018National Catholic Register, Church Affairs

Vigano’s Testimony; McCarrick’s Defiance

Is it plausible that, after receiving such unpublished sanctions, Cardinal McCarrick would simply ignore them? Yes.

Newman House ManagerAugust 31, 2018National Catholic Register, Church Affairs

Doug Ford was wrong to axe the basic income pilot

Something new could have been something better. It is very unlikely that it would have been worse. And it is a shame that the new government has chosen to use only the old ways.

Newman House ManagerAugust 30, 2018National Post, Politics

Division in the Church

Where might there be resources to restore unity? The obvious answer is the perhaps the only one – in a closer adherence to Christ Jesus, who did not hesitate to call Himself the Good Shepherd.

Newman House ManagerAugust 30, 2018Convivium, Church Affairs

Huddle Up For Diversity

Diversity separated from unity is generally not a good thing. Diversity is strength, but on the football field and in our common life, it is unity that is stronger still, and that provides the context in which diversity can be welcomed and can thrive.

Newman House ManagerAugust 27, 2018Convivium, Culture

The Viganò letter could spark a conflagration in the curia

Although intemperate, what Viganò offers cannot be dismissed. The accusations are too grave, and the source is sufficiently credible to warrant investigation.

Newman House ManagerAugust 27, 2018Catholic Herald, Church Affairs

When commentary became combat, we loved it

Buckley-Vidal was memorable not because two men of superior intellect debated the salient issues of the day, but because of how they debated, putting personal attacks into their punditry.

Newman House ManagerAugust 24, 2018National Post, Culture

Pope Francis’s letter on abuse contained much of value. Don’t write it off

Repentance is grace; it is a grace that we recognise our sin; it is a grace that we realise the need for renewal, for change, for the transformation of our being.

Newman House ManagerAugust 23, 2018Catholic Herald, Church Affairs

Has the Vatican forgotten St John Paul II’s great encyclical on moral life?

The dubia regarding Amoris Laetitia and Veritatis Splendor have gone unanswered, leaving individuals, including bishops and priests, to work out how to proceed when the latter condemns what the former proposes. The easiest solution is simply to ignore that Veritatis Splendor exists.

Newman House ManagerAugust 18, 2018Catholic Herald, Faith

The 'Queen of Soul' was a daughter of the church

Aretha Franklin grew up in the black church, with its rich gospel music traditions. Her father was a pastor, and she ministered with her voice.

Newman House ManagerAugust 16, 2018National Post, Culture

Where are the missionaries who will evangelize today?

When built in 1906, St Boniface Cathedral in Winnipeg stood as a monument of Canadian evangelization in the West. Its replacement points instead to an absence.

Newman House ManagerAugust 10, 2018Catholic Register, Church Affairs

Saudi Arabia's global ambitions leave no room for meddling

MBS wants a more dynamic, moderate Saudi Arabia to be the heir to Ottoman-era influence, an alternative to the militancy of Iran or the failed pan-Arab nationalism of the 1960s. But he wants on it on his own terms.

Newman House ManagerAugust 9, 2018National Post, Politics

Writing With Righteous Wrath

Angry writing is fitting when anger is the fitting response. Most times anger is not the best response. But because it usually is not the best response doesn’t mean that it never is.

Newman House ManagerAugust 9, 2018Convivium, Church Affairs

How Paul VI and John Paul II defended moral truth

Veritatis Splendor rejected at length the objections that Paul VI faced in his time, namely that in teaching the truth about the moral law, the Church was lacking in compassion and in respect for freedom.

Newman House ManagerAugust 9, 2018Catholic Herald, Faith

Is the Vatican giving a promotion to laypeople?

Bureaucratic shuffling rarely has much effect on the Church’s mission. But it does reflect how those doing the shuffling think.

Newman House ManagerAugust 4, 2018Catholic Herald, Church Affairs

Caught In Cottage Culture

Why is there such an urge to head out to the cottage, when a more relaxing weekend might be had at home? Perhaps there is something deeper within our desire to travel.

Newman House ManagerAugust 2, 2018Convivium, Culture

Fifty years on, it's still the Pope versus the Pill

After fifty years it appears that what Pope Paul VI warned us about has come true. Men would begin to treat women more as objects to be used rather than potential collaborators in a family project.

Newman House ManagerAugust 2, 2018National Post, Faith

What Would a Brother Bishop Say to Ex-Cardinal McCarrick?

Father Raymond writes what he hopes a brother bishop might privately say directly to the ex-cardinal, who should not be a passive actor in all of this.

Newman House ManagerAugust 1, 2018National Catholic Register, Church Affairs