Roman Catholicism
The political class’s new phobia: big families
After almost a week of media breast-beating about the Philpott case, a creepy consensus is emerging over benefits for children. Bernard Jenkin, the Conservative backbencher, wants child benefit to be limited… Continue reading
150 Comments
Already, Pope Francis is the victim of cheap journalistic smears
So the new Pope was ‘cosy with dictators’, according to the papers. The only sources for that assertion seem to be Latin Americans left-wingers who are obviously and implacably hostile to… Continue reading
39 Comments
What can we expect from Pope Francis?
Some striking facts about Pope Francis. Fact one: the Cardinals have elected a 76-year-old with only one lung. This undermines the idea that Pope Benedict stepped aside so that a… Continue reading
76 Comments
Breaking: Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is the new Pope
Oh, my God. It’s Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who everybody thought was past it. It’s commonly thought that he came second last time and was the popular liberal choice, only to… Continue reading
65 Comments
Papal Conclave: would a result today mean Angelo Scola is Pope?
White smoke from the Vatican this afternoon may signal that the new Pope is Cardinal Angelo Scola. But the longer the papal conclave goes on, the more likely it becomes… Continue reading
8 Comments
Will be the next Pope will be an Angelo?
Some wag has gone around Rome putting up spoof ‘Vota Turkson’ posters. This is a reference to the Ghanian Cardinal Peter Turkson, who has been much-tipped to be the first black Pope. Turkson has a… Continue reading
10 Comments
Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s prayers
As the late Christopher Hitchens used to say of the most vociferous, gay-obsessed clergy: ‘I have a rule of thumb for such clerics and have never known it to fail:… Continue reading
23 Comments
Take the Vatican ‘Gay Mafia’ talk with a pinch of holy salt – for now
A rather feverish mood around the Vatican today: La Repubblica’s sensational splash suggesting that Pope Benedict XVI was pushed out by a ‘gay mafia’ within the Church hierarchy has set Latin… Continue reading
51 Comments
How Pope Benedict’s wisdom was often lost in translation
The pope made his first public appearance since his resignation today, before putting ashes on the foreheads of pilgrims for Ash Wednesday. It’s one of those jos which isn’t itself… Continue reading
18 Comments
A New York pontiff? Why I’m betting on Cardinal Timothy Dolan to be the new pope
It’s got to be an African, hasn’t it? That’s what editors, including my esteemed boss, are saying across the country in response to Pope Benedict’s shock resignation. And Fraser’s right:… Continue reading
33 CommentsOn the Pope’s visit
The Pope, as I’m sure you know, has touched down in Britain. Here, for CoffeeHousers, is the editorial on his visit from this week’s new-look issue of the magazine: Benedict… Continue reading
38 Comments