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Beyond presumption?

Canon 220 of the Code of Canon Law encapsulates a principle common to both the civil and canonical traditions, namely: the presumption of innocence. In the field of safeguarding this irreplaceable component of justice has from time to time become obscured. This is not an issue confined to the Church or indeed, faith communities alone. It is a dilemma which is found to exist elsewhere under a number of guises. In the world of celebrity we have witnessed cases of excessively pu

Sense or Sensibility?

In their "From the Depths of Our Hearts" Pope Benedict and Cardinal Sarah express their shared anxiety for the ease with which certain leaders in the church have lost sight of the sole rationale for the Church's existence: the person and mission of Christ who is Truth. The notion "cooperatores veritatis" was so central to Pope Benedict's vision that he adopted it as his episcopal motto. This provides an important context for this work. It is borne of a shared discernment: an

Be Not Afraid?

Today marks the fifteenth anniversary of St John Paul II. No amount of writings, learned articles, or, biographies can do justice to this great man. From the first words of his pontificate he recognised both are human susceptibility to fear and was not slow to provide us with the remedy: a sure and certain faith. For this giant of a man, of towering intellect and unwavering witness, faith was the means by which we have the prospect of receiving the great gift of hope. Yet, f

Seeing or Believing?

In recent days, a good deal of anguish has been expressed concerning the closure of churches and the non-celebration of the sacraments in a manner which is accessible to the faithful. It has been rightly pointed out that these are, according to our faith, essential services; providing both sustenance and consolation. Others have resorted to the live streaming of "private Masses" (i.e. without the physical attendance of the faithful). This has in turn, generated anxiety on the