When Francis Was Still Jorge
Cardinal Bergoglio's road to the Vatican
Politics, Ideas and the Arts
The Pagan Problem In Western Thought
"By all means, let the wicked fry in Hell—but why should they find themselves frying alongside innocent and virtuous pagans?"
Unturbulent Priest
The memoirs of Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor
Ushaw College
Richard III's robe and St Cuthbert's ring are just two of the treasure of this former Catholic seminary
Saintly Networkers
Kate Cooper’s pacy tale of heroines, virgins and martyrs recounts the largely unknown role of women in shaping the early Church
How Jesuitical is the Pope?
Mealy-mouthed and equivocal or just shy? Two new books help us to understand the motives and beliefs of the enigmatic Pope Francis
Pope Frank: In the Footsteps of St Francis
Jovial, informal and compassionate, the new Pontiff has the qualities to restore faith in the Vatican and to promote women in the Church
Not Hitler’s Pope, But No Saint Either
Robert A. Ventresca's attempt to dispassionately assess the divisive Pope Pius XVII's pontificate is well-meaning but a penance to read
Rights and Wrongs
The Case of Lilian Ladele, hounded out of her job as a registrar for her Christian beliefs, is evidence of a rising religious intolerance
1878 And All That
George Weigel's attempt to codify a new Evangelical Catholicism is controversial and idiosyncratic, but has plenty to commend it
From Jesus Sect to Imperial Faith
Two new works by Geza Vermes and Peter Brown eloquently and enthusiastically chart the progress of Christianity from Jesus Christ to the height of the Byzantine empire
Mass Protests
An exhibition at Lambeth Palace reveals how the modern cult of progress prevents its acolytes from appreciating the value of religion