Christian Witness in Egypt 

It’s not easy being Christian in Egypt. A few years ago, I came across an article by a writer named Matthew Schmitz about the zabbaleen of Cairo. The literal meaning of this word is “garbage picker,” and it refers to the residents of Mokattam Village, almost all of them Christian, who make their living collectingContinue reading “Christian Witness in Egypt “

Pope Benedict XVI, R.I.P. 

On February 11, 2013 I was sitting in a Roman lecture hall, taking notes and trying not to be distracted by my Australian classmate whose phone kept buzzing. Finally, he turned to me and whispered, “The Holy Father just resigned.” I looked at him skeptically, saying, “That’s not possible. Someone is pulling your leg.”  AContinue reading “Pope Benedict XVI, R.I.P. “

Christmas, A.D. 2022  

How do we understand our time in history? Over the past several decades it has become more common to see historical events qualified as having happened in the “Common Era” (C.E.) or “Before the Common Era” (B.C.E.). These terms are used in place of the traditional “Before Christ” (B.C.) and “Anno Domini” (A.D.), which isContinue reading “Christmas, A.D. 2022  “

Matthew 26:38 

“Last year, nearly one in 30 deaths recorded in Canada was an assisted suicide death.” Catholic ethicist Charlie Camosy cited this troubling statistic during his recent interview in The Pillar of Amanda Achtman, a human rights advocate who works with Canadian Physicians for Life.  Since the 2016 introduction of Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)Continue reading “Matthew 26:38 “