The Lead Bishop for Marriage and Family Life, Bishop David Oakley, has spoken to us about a new resource that offers reflections on the main themes of Amoris Laetitia – the 2016 Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation. ‘The Joy of Love’ looks at the themes of Joy, Love, Mercy, Realities and Discernment, and Mission encouraging prayer […]

In December 1916, deep in the Sahara, an unknown French hermit was shot through the head and dumped in a ditch. He was 58. An accomplished geographer, linguist and explorer, in youth he had been a disillusioned soldier and aristocratic playboy. Why at 30 did he abandon family, career, everything, to search for ‘the last […]

At the Foot of the Cross looks at the Pope’s announcement that he will create 21 new cardinals at the end of the summer, one of whom is the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments – our very own Archbishop Arthur Roche. A former Bishop of Leeds, Cardinal-elect […]

May’s At the Foot of the Cross looks back on the Bishops’ visit to Cardiff for their first plenary meeting in Wales for 18 years. Canon Christopher Thomas, General Secretary here at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, joins us to talk about the historic meeting and its fruits. We discuss, specifically, a […]

Bishop Thomas Neylon, Lead Bishop for Asia for the Bishops’ Conference, has recorded a short reflection on Blessed Lazarus, also called Devasahayam, an 18th-century Indian martyr. He was a married Hindu man who converted to Catholicism and suffered much persecution for his faith. A Catholic for only seven years, he was shot dead in the […]

As an important part of our resources for the Day of Prayer for the Survivors of Abuse, we have produced an audio reflection on Psalm 121. We listen to an introduction before hearing a reading of the Psalm. Then a survivor offers her personal reflection on the psalm before we offer prayers for survivors of […]

Bishop Paul Swarbrick, Bishop of Lancaster, introduces us to Charles de Foucauld, a former soldier and Trappist who will be canonised by Pope Francis on Sunday 15 May 2022. Photo © Jean-Louis Zimmermann (CC BY 2.0)

Titus Brandsma was a Carmelite friar who was killed in the Dachau concentration camp on 26 July 1942. The Nazi invasion of Holland took place on 10 May 1940. Their persecution of the Jews is well known. Titus defended the Jewish people – especially Jewish children who attended Catholic schools. He said: “the Church in […]

Cardinal Vincent Nichols spoke to journalists, remotely, about the Bishops’ first plenary meeting in Wales for 18 years. The Cardinal, President of the Bishops’ Conference, looked back on the five-day meeting and talked about their discussions. The meeting took place in Cardiff from 2 – 6 May 2022. Cardinal Nichols gave a briefing on the […]

It’s Eastertide and time for the second episode in our new monthly podcast series At the Foot of the Cross. In early May, our Bishops are meeting in plenary away from their usual venue of Hinsley Hall in the Diocese of Leeds. This time, the Bishops spring gathering takes place in Cardiff – the first […]