John Warhurst
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The rise and rise of Conversations in the Spirit
Who attends, who sets the agenda, who writes the report and who acts on it. These questions test whether co-responsibility exists.
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How low can regular Mass attendance go?
The Math every Western diocese needs to learn; Catholic schools are full — Parish churches are empty! Is the clerical view, Church attendance, the only metric?
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Andy Burnham’s Catholic moment
Faith and political leadership: Andy Burnham’s faith background raises questions about whether religion truly shapes political leanings across Western democracies today.
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The Church and the Census
Cultural Catholics still shape church funding and influence: Behind the Census lies a quiet contest over funding, identity and influence.
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Being heard
In a saturated media landscape reaching beyond shrinking parishes means embracing fresh tools that carries the Message further.
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Trump’s attacks elevate Pope Leo
Donald Trump’s repeated derogatory remarks about Pope Leo have paradoxically transformed the pontiff from a figure of mild curiosity into a confirmed world leader. His steady appeals to the just war tradition now command mainstream media attention rather than being buried in back pages.
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Interpreting Pope Leo on the Middle East
Pope Leo has returned regularly to the Israel-US-Iran War in the Middle East in his public statements. He commented almost immediately after both Israel and the USA began their strikes on Iran and has maintained his focus on the topic. The Pope clearly prefers peace and diplomacy to war and aggression — his language about…
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Cafeteria bishops
Once a term of conservative scorn aimed at progressive Catholics, “Cafeteria Catholic” has taken on new meaning — now it arguably describes bishops who selectively apply official church teaching and ignore synodal reforms they find personally inconvenient.
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Political science insights can help the church
Synodality represents a major cultural shift. Political science reveals how large reforms mirror society’s move from fossil fuels to renewable energy: slow, demanding and contested. Structural change requires persistence, patience and strong leadership capable of guiding communities through uncertainty and resistance with clarity and courage.
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Lay reform owes more to religious than it admits
While lay reformers spoke of inclusivity, it was religious life that had already lived shared leadership. Many lay Catholics found their truest allies among sisters, brothers and priests outside the clerical caste.
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