Just in time for the fifth anniverary of his election as Pope, a special book has been released looking back at Pope Benedict’s first five years in the See of Peter. The book was released in Italian and German only – fitting, since it was put together by Msgr. Georg Gänswein, the Pope’s personal secretay ...read more

Given the shortage of priests in many dioceses, few Catholics would be surprised by the results of an American survey reporting that 42% of priests feel overwhelmed by their workload. “Why would someone be happy with a celibate life, little pay, long hours and a regular drubbing in the press?”, asks Msgr. Stephen Rossetti, a ...read more

Jack Valero, a senior representative of Opus Dei, is defending the record of Pope Benedict in the pages of The Guardian. Valero addresses then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s handling of laicization cases, including his efforts to more strongly enforce abuse investigations by bringing them under the purview of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in ...read more

Pope Benedict XVI embarks on his first of five Apostolic Voyages for 2010 this weekend. Before he heads to Portugal, Cyprus, Britain, and Spain, he starts it all off with Malta. The visit will celebrate the 1,950th anniversary of St. Paul’s shipwreck on the island that, according to tradition, occurred in the year 60 A.D., ...read more

On Tuesday, S+L’s production team was visited by Charlie Lewis, lead religion reporter for the National Post. Lewis asked each of us, as young Catholics in the media, how we feel about the Church’s response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis, as well as how we’ve perceived the sometimes questionable mainstream media coverage. Today on ...read more

Archbishop Collins continues his reflections on the parables of Jesus in Lectio Divina with Archbishop Thomas Collins.  In April, Toronto’s chief shepherd meditates on two parables: the rich fool and the faithful and wise steward found in Luke (Luke 12:13-21, 35-48). The story of the rich fool details the account of the young man who ...read more

As if the lovely Sisters of Life retreat weren’t enough, when all of the other retreatants boarded trains to go home, the Salt + Light “retreat team” began ironing our Sunday best in preparation for a visit to the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council headquarters in New Haven, Connecticut. “I don’t know how to ask ...read more

Catholic commentator and director of CatholicCulture.org Phil Lawler has an excellent counter to the Associated Press story that was circulated last Friday about an Oakland abuse case.  See below: Journalists abandon standards to attack the Pope By Phil Lawler We’re off and running once again, with another completely phony story that purports to implicate Pope ...read more

The euthanasia (or the “right to die with dignity”) issue has been rearing its head in Canada for the past 20 years. The issue has already gone, unsuccessfully, before the Supreme Court of Canada. Bill C-384, introduced by Bloc Québécois MP Francine Lalonde to the Parliament of Canada, is the latest attempt. Even the Quebec ...read more

This week our Perspectives question of the week was: “What is a real man?” I had significant hesitations with taking this question to the streets not only because I knew men wouldn’t be thrilled to reveal the innermost secrets of their masculine heart on a corner in downtown Toronto (and to a woman, no less), ...read more