Articles — Fr. Raymond J. de Souza

Will the abuse summit be a turning point for the Church?

There was undoubtedly a good spirit at the summit, a sense that a corner had been turned. But there are storm clouds ahead.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 28, 2019Catholic Herald, Church Affairs

Father Tom's plagiarism was shocking, but he is more than his failing

The Catholic Church in Canada does not have a surfeit of priests like Fr. Tom and we need him, in his own voice. And if that voice is now repentant and seeks mercy, as he should, that, too, can be a lesson at the service of the gospel.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 28, 2019National Post, Church Affairs

Sex abuse summit is catch-up time for much of the world

The summit meeting will have little to offer countries like Canada which have already been dealing with the problem of priestly sexual sins and crimes for decades.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 22, 2019Church Affairs, Catholic Register

The Israeli-Polish friendship may be dying

Reconciliation is only possible when the aggrieved decide to cease putting grievances — even legitimate ones — in the face of the other

Newman House ManagerFebruary 21, 2019National Post, Politics, Poland, Israel

Theodore McCarrick: Some Noteworthy Points to Consider

So many aspects of McCarrick being dismissed from the clerical state — the “death penalty” for clerics in canon law — are noteworthy

Newman House ManagerFebruary 19, 2019Church Affairs, National Catholic Register

Will the Pope’s ‘Pastoral’ Approach Lead to Any Real Action on Sexual Abuse?

The Feb. 21-24 meeting takes the view that bishops who think as the Pope wishes them to think about their role as shepherds will then do the right thing in tackling sex abuse.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 19, 2019National Catholic Register, Church Affairs

Gaming the Law

Former Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould’s miscue was to insist on the rule of law in a game where the rules are rigged

Newman House ManagerFebruary 14, 2019Convivium, Politics

It's hard to understand the sentencing of Alexandre Bissonnette

Huot ruled that 'life 50' is unconstitutional, but 'life 40' is not. What about 'life 44' or 'life 47'? The jurisprudence on that fine calibration still awaits

Newman House ManagerFebruary 14, 2019National Post, Politics

On Islam, Francis Follows in Benedict’s Footsteps

The new Muslim-Catholic joint document takes up Benedict’s earlier assertion that religious believers — despite theological conflicts — can contend together for the place of God in our common life.

Church AffairsNewman House ManagerFebruary 8, 2019National Catholic Register, Church Affairs

No Cheers For Pope’s Abu Dhabi Do

Leave aside the question of Islamist violence against Christians. The entire UAE project is morally dubious, at least according to how Pope Francis generally speaks.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 7, 2019

Courage and diplomacy in the UAE

In Vatican diplomacy, environmental and economic sins can be overlooked if the local Christians are not tortured and killed.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 7, 2019Catholic Herald

The U.A.E.'s low bar for religious tolerance

In the U.A.E., Christians are able to worship but religious liberty does not exist in a fulsome way. The bar is set so low for Muslim countries that the U.A.E. is hailed as a beacon of tolerance.

Newman House ManagerFebruary 7, 2019National Post, Politics

Let’s Really Talk

Father Raymond de Souza bemoans the death of local news, critiques the pornographication of the Super Bowl, and argues for setting down our iPhones to speak face-to-face again.

Newman House ManagerJanuary 31, 2019Convivium, Culture

Trudeau is somehow right on Venezuela

Having youthful illusions shattered by reality is painful, but the prime minister is holding up admirably well. He held his youthful illusions well into middle age, so it is past time to let them go.

Newman House ManagerJanuary 30, 2019National Post, Politics

Dallas Charter Culture and the Covington Controversy

The purpose of the Dallas Charter was not only to enhance the protection and safety of minors, but to effect a culture change when there were allegations, or even suspicions, of sexual abuse.

Newman House ManagerJanuary 29, 2019National Catholic Register, Church Affairs

Hollywood’s Guilt of Many Colours

Such stereotypes would usually set off the finely-tuned antennae of the Hollywood set. So why did Black Panther get not only a pass, but an Oscar nomination? Because it made money, lots of it.

Newman House ManagerJanuary 25, 2019Convivium, Culture

Where sports and the surveillance state collide

Increased technology and oversight are employed, sometimes at great cost and inconvenience, to eliminate even the remote possibility of error.

Newman House ManagerJanuary 24, 2019National Post, Culture

The Case of the ‘Disappearing’ Cardinals

When some observers charge that nothing has changed in how the Church deals with sexual abuse, consider how quickly and smoothly Cardinal Wuerl ceased to be seen in public.

Newman House ManagerJanuary 23, 2019Church Affairs, National Catholic Register