Articles — Fr. Raymond J. de Souza

The significance of the manger scene — an 800-year-old Christmas tradition

Families all over the world set them up at home, some as a pious devotion, others as a seasonal decoration

Newman House ManagerDecember 24, 2023Faith, National Post

National Post Editorial: The blessing of Christian fraternity and the importance of gathering

Jesus offers something more than the bond of blood; a universal fraternity is now possible, for God is the Father of all.

Newman House ManagerDecember 24, 2023National Post, Faith

Ambiguity of ‘Fiducia Supplicans’ Makes Way for Multiplying Misinterpretations

The new declaration from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith ensures that no one knows what exactly is being blessed, as it expressly forbids any ritual text that might specify it.

Newman House ManagerDecember 23, 2023Church Affairs, National Catholic Register

In September, Israel's future looked bright. That's the world it must strive for

Painful years may be ahead if diplomacy cannot restore pre-war hope

Newman House ManagerDecember 23, 2023Politics, National Post

The Nativity Scene of St. Francis Reminds Us That the Word Became Flesh — and Food — at Christmas

The 800th anniversary of the Nativity scene, one of the most beloved Christmas traditions, and the truth that attracts even those who know nothing of the Incarnation or the Eucharist...

Newman House ManagerDecember 22, 2023Faith, National Catholic Register

Israel is hated precisely because it is strong

If the Jewish people are weak, they are despised for being weak, but if they become strong or successful, they are resented as such

Newman House ManagerDecember 18, 2023National Post, Politics

Why Has Pope Francis Never Visited His Homeland?

There are many reasons, but his visiting Argentina would offer the Holy Father a chance to articulate a positive vision for Argentina’s political and economic future.

Newman House ManagerDecember 18, 2023National Catholic Register, Church Affairs

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights — a rare light in a dark century

75 years later, it's hard to imagine such a consensus emerging in the modern age

Newman House ManagerDecember 13, 2023National Post, Politics

Is Big Climate over? That would be good for the environment

Backing away from absurd, grandiose policies would shift attention toward more practical measures

Newman House ManagerDecember 9, 2023National Post, Politics

Henry Kissinger’s 4 Key Catholic Moments

By his own estimate, Kissinger was about the protection and promotion of hope in the midst of geopolitical conflict.

Newman House ManagerDecember 8, 2023National Catholic Register, Politics

Kissinger's intellectual capital only increased with age

Secretary of state to Nixon and Ford, the scholar-diplomat loomed larger than the policies he implemented and even the men he served

Newman House ManagerDecember 4, 2023National Post, Politics

The Dangers Pope Francis Avoided by Not Going to Dubai

Catholics ought to pray for the Holy Father’s recovery from illness — and in thanksgiving that he is not going to Dubai.

Newman House ManagerDecember 4, 2023National Catholic Register, Church Affairs

The climate farce in the air-conditioned desert

Holding a climate conference in a petro-state, chaired by the head of an oil company, requires a level of shamelessness previous thought the province of FIFA or the IOC

Newman House ManagerNovember 30, 2023National Post, Politics

St. John Henry Newman and ‘The Infidelity of the Future’

The synodal process would do better to study him, rather than reduce him to a slogan.

Newman House ManagerNovember 30, 2023National Catholic Register, Church Affairs

Three perspectives on mankind's 'brave new world'

Imagining a 'dialogue beyond death' between JFK, C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley

Newman House ManagerNovember 26, 2023National Post, Culture

JFK, Aldous Huxley and C.S. Lewis: Whose Vision of the Future Was the Most Accurate?

On the 60th anniversary of their deaths, it’s clear it was Lewis who was truly prophetic — for he offered an apologetic for Christ, not for man’s own mastery of the future.

Newman House ManagerNovember 23, 2023National Catholic Register, Faith