No matter how hard many Europeans try to shake off a Christian past, media coverage this Easter has again reminded us how indelibly imprinted the story of Jesus remains in European culture and consciousness. Television and newspapers across this increasingly…
Hands up everybody who has aunts, uncles and cousins. According to author George Weigel, only a minority of Italians will be able to raise their hands in the future. And that in the land of La Famiglia! Weigel, best-known for…
This time last week no-one knew who the new pope would be. Suddenly on Tuesday evening, while the whole world was watching, the choice of the new pontiff’s name turned the global spotlight on a bare-footed young Italian who dared…
What should the role of the church be in Europe’s future? This was the question Gerard and Chrissie Kelly of Bless Network asked me to address at their recent BlessTalks day in Hilversum, Holland. Following the popular TEDtalks formula, eight…
Visitors approaching Cologne Cathedral this past week saw the retired pope waving from a huge photo hanging on a building opposite what was once the world’s tallest structure. One word expressed appreciation on behalf of millions around the world :…