Prisoners are more likely to have grown up with violence, drug abuse, overcrowding, poor schooling and unemployment. These disadvantages shape their lives far more than criminal intent. Recognising this is the first step toward justice that heals, not simply punishes.

Pope Francis’s Evangelii Gaudium called the Church to be a community of disciples, rooted in mercy and solidarity. This vision places co-working and mutual support at the heart of the Church’s mission today.

August 6 marks both Hiroshima and the Transfiguration — a date of devastation and divine hope. One event shows what humans can destroy, the other what we can become. The contrast urges us to reflect on who we are and who we are meant to be.

St Paul wrote, “We who are many are one body.” That became true in a guard’s van, where grumbling turned to gratitude, division to dialogue. Eucharist emerged not from consecrated bread, but from disrupted plans and a shared human response.

The terms “clergy” and “laity” can trap us in outdated hierarchies. Could adopting the language of “missionary disciples” help the Church rediscover shared leadership and mutual respect?

Can a white, male God creating a white, male Adam still speak to today’s world? Jesus welcomed all—Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, men and women. Diversity was always part of the divine plan. What if creation looked like all of us?

The world’s poorest are being asked to bear the cost of a system rigged against them. With declining development aid and rising debt repayments, hope is fading fast for millions whose lives are treated as disposable.

Brambilla’s historic appointment is shadowed by a telling detail: an invitation to male-only meetings addressed to her with a masculine title. This slip highlights ongoing resistance to recognising women as equals within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.

Pope Leo XIV recently denounced the deliberate use of hunger as a weapon. “Civilians languish in misery,” he said, while leaders profit from conflict. His words challenge global indifference and call believers to confront policies that deepen famine and suffering.

Bold but careful: allowing lay ministers to celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick would demand training, safeguards and oversight, yet could profoundly bless the Church’s ministry to the sick.