Search Results (253)

This article analyzes the work of Fr. Elias Friedman, whose legacy of theological work on Jewish identity and Jewish conversion to Catholicism serves as the foundation of the Association of Hebrew Catholics, of which he is the founder. Friedman frames his work as a sensitive approach to Jewish identity and Catholic faith, but as this paper demonstrates, his work reveals a reiteration of some of the most entrenched and historically devastating tropes of Christian anti-Judaism, as well as racial antisemitism. This article presents three main arguments. First, it demonstrates that Friedman’s work evidences a theological anti-Judaism characteristic of Catholicism prior to the Second Vatican Council, which he maintained firmly even after the theological revision of Vatican II rejected such views; and furthermore, that his work also expresses an antisemitism that reflects the modern racial antisemitism adopted by the Nazi regime. Second, this article examines the positive reception of Friedman’s work, as evidenced not only in the revered position he holds within the Association for Hebrew Catholics, but also by the nihil obstat and imprimatur on both of Friedman’s monographs, that is, the official stamp of ecclesiastical approval within the Catholic Church, which declares that the work is “free of doctrinal and moral error.” It proposes that these factors evidence the uncritical reception of his work not only within the Association of Hebrew Catholics, but also on behalf of the institutional Catholic Church. Third, it raises the question of the extent to which Friedman’s identity as a Jewish convert to Catholicism is relevant in the analysis and reception of his work. It argues that his Jewish identity makes his concoction of religious anti-Judaism and racial antisemitism particularly potent, rendering anodyne even the most virulently antisemitic of his statements. Full article

Urbanization’s environmental challenges have increased interest in urban biodiversity, traditionally focused on public green spaces, which are shrinking as urban growth escapes government control. This study examines the understudied role of private actors—specifically Concessions held by Catholic Religious Groups (CRGs)—in biodiversity conservation across three DRC cities (Bukavu, Kisangani, Lubumbashi). CRGs were selected due to Catholicism’s dominance and socio-economic influence in the DRC. A systematic flora inventory of 70 randomly sampled CRGs identified 220 species from 76 families and 185 genera. Although the CRG area was smaller in Lubumbashi (1.1 ha) than Bukavu (3.7 ha) and Kisangani (5.2 ha), the area did not correlate with species richness. Plant composition varied significantly within and between cities, dominated by phanerophytes and exotic species. These findings underscore the importance of including private stakeholders in urban biodiversity conservation. Full article

This paper explores the under-researched phenomenon of queer migration in Croatia, Lithuania, and Poland—three post-communist, Catholic-majority countries. Drawing on existing studies in the literature and empirical data, it examines how prevailing social conservatism—shaped by the influence of Catholicism and the distinct developmental trajectories of these countries—is reflected in research on queer migration. Although limited, the current body of knowledge confirms that concerns over LGBTQIA+ rights are a factor motivating emigration. The three examples illustrate how queer migration must be analyzed within the complex interplay between Europeanization and liberalization, and the backlash against these processes. This backlash, prominently supported by the Catholic Church, includes resistance to gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights. By critically engaging with existing research, the paper underscores the need for future studies—particularly those investigating the gap between legal protections and prevailing social attitudes toward LGBTQIA+ individuals, the relationship between human rights backlashes and queer migration, the intersections between spatial context and personal biographies, and the connection between the queer migration and recent immigration waves in these countries. Full article

This article aims to provide an account of the political thought of Archbishop John Carroll on the topic of religious liberty as a core principle of the American founding. It examines the relationship of Church and State through the lens of a developing self-understanding in the American and Roman Catholic identities. American Catholic colonists were accused of having a divided allegiance that made them dangerous to the social compact, divided between papal authority and the authority of the republic. Further, the place of the Catholic Church in a more pluralistic religious landscape following the Reformation demanded a reexamination of the traditional Catholic teaching on religious liberty. One man in particular stands out as a seminal figure in the development of a rapprochement between the American liberal understanding of religious liberty and that of the Catholic tradition. This man was Archbishop John Carroll, the first Roman Catholic Bishop in America. Carroll’s theoretical and practical approach to the highly contentious issue of religious liberty is a noteworthy example of simultaneous commitment to the Catholic faith and responsiveness to the exigencies of the moment and the perennial demands of political life. Carroll’s example is useful for Catholics and all others, as a model for Church–State separation. Full article

After the arrival of Jesuits in China during the late Ming dynasty, they adopted a strategy of aligning Catholicism with Confucianism, referring to themselves as “Western Confucians” to gain sympathy and support from the Chinese literati. However, during the early Qing dynasty, particularly during the late Kangxi era, because of the resurgence of traditional Confucian ideology and the consolidation of Manchu rule, literati attitudes toward Catholicism shifted significantly. This paper uses the early Qing scholar Dong Han (董含, 1626–?) from the Songjiang region as a case study, with his Notes in Three Hills 三冈识略 as the primary textual source, to analyze his critiques of Western learning (including Catholicism and Western science). Additionally, it examines Catholic responses to these critiques, based on the manuscript Refute the False Accusation 辩诬 collected in the BnF (Bibliothèque nationale de France). Through an analysis of Dong Han’s attitude toward Western learning and the responses it provoked, the paper aims to shed light on the changing attitudes of early Qing literati in the Jiangnan area toward Western learning, as well as the challenges faced by Catholicism in establishing their legitimacy in early modern China. It points out that the fundamental differences between Western learning and Confucianism prevented it from making an effective argument for legitimacy in China. The lack of support from the literati and the emperor led to the eventual fate of Catholicism—being prohibited. Full article

The introduction of Christian angelology during the Ming and Qing dynasties was driven by strong practical needs. As intermediaries bridging the sacred and the secular, angels were endowed with crucial functions in core sacraments such as baptism and the Mass, including the purification of sins, protection, and the connection between God and humanity. Their participation in these rituals not only enhanced the sanctity of the ceremonies but also facilitated a dialogue with traditional Chinese spirits. Missionaries deliberately avoided abstract theological discussions about angels, instead emphasizing their role in accompanying and guiding believers in daily life. The concept of “guardian angels” addressed the spiritual needs of believers, while the imagery of angels in funeral rites helped reconstruct expressions of filial piety, thereby mitigating cultural conflicts between China and the West. At the same time, the localized understanding of angels among Chinese Catholics during this period focused on ritual practices and the affirmation of their own identity. The introduction of Christian angels during the Ming and Qing dynasties, with their practical dimensions, facilitated the indigenization process of Catholicism in China and provided new perspectives and pathways for interreligious and intercultural dialogue. Full article

The procession of El Señor de los Milagros is a multitudinous religious manifestation originally from Peru that tours numerous cities around the world each year in October. In Barcelona (Spain), the procession centers the diverse dances performed in honor of the “Cristo Moreno”, especially La Marinera, which is considered the cultural heritage of the Peruvian nation and is performed mainly by dance groups formed by new generations of Peruvian migrants’ children. This article analyzes the relationship between new generations and the practice of dancing La Marinera in honor of El Señor de los Milagros in Barcelona. Our main methodological strategy was an ethnography focused on the processions held in Barcelona (Spain) in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022. We also conducted in-depth interviews with key informants and focus groups and a review of documents and historical information. In this article, we will show that the performance of the Marinera dance in the procession can foster a connection between young dancers and the worship of the Lord of Miracles. Its performance promotes the appreciation and safeguarding of this practice as a distinctive cultural and national element of Peru, also allowing for a public staging oriented toward spectacle, framed in a transnational and globalized context. Full article

The Catholic Church in Denmark hosts several migrant communities, with the Polish-speaking group among the largest and most visible. Institutionally, Catholic priests from Poland serve as chaplains for migrant congregations, accompanying these mobilities and providing educational practices (e.g., family guidance, biblical teaching). This paper examines how perspectives on Catholic scriptural authority differ between the Church’s institutional representatives and its members, revealing tensions between biblical authority, social accommodation, and family values in a migratory setting. Based on 20 months of fieldwork in a Polish Catholic community in Copenhagen, this paper highlights the dynamic interplay of how Church members assess scriptural authority as evaluative engagement in their transnational lives in the Danish public sphere, illustrated through interconnected ethnographic excerpts. This article illustrates how scriptural engagement offers a productive lens to explore divergent notions of Polish Catholic diasporic life and the tensions between transnational religion, national belonging, and moral navigation. Full article

Sri Lanka, then known as Ceylon, was ruled by three Euro-Christian colonisers for over 450 years. Alongside their pursuit of trade and wealth, these colonial powers—the Portuguese (1505–1658), Dutch (1658–1796), and British (1796–1948)—sought to establish their distinct forms of Christianity: Catholicism by the Portuguese, Reformation by the Dutch, and Anglicanism and other Protestant denominations by the British. The missionary strategies and religious policies of these European colonisers varied significantly. Unlike Catholicism, which closely aligned with the external rituals of local religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, the Dutch Reformed religion emphasised Christian doctrine and biblical scripture, distinguishing itself in its liturgy, art, and architecture. This paper examines the origins and development of Dutch Reformed urban church architecture in Sri Lanka through archival, cartographical, and morphological research, complemented by an architectural survey of the surviving Dutch Reformed churches. The study reveals that the Dutch initially repurposed several Portuguese churches for Reformed worship, and later, they introduced the “Meeting House” typology, aligning with Reformed ecclesiastical and liturgical principles. Over time, this evolved into larger “Greek Cross Plan” churches, a trend that continued until the rise of Anglicanism. Full article

There is a widespread belief today, primarily among the agnostics and atheists, and even among the not so active believers, that all forms of religious belief, including Christian Catholicism, should remain outside the political realm, limited to private spirituality. This paper thematises, in the context of “positive laicity”, the way the Catholic Church changed its understanding of politics after the Second Vatican Council, regarding the involvement of believers, as serving the common good in a plural society. Using conciliar and post-conciliar documents as sources for reflection and argumentation, this paper outlines eight theological and anthropological assumptions regarding Catholic involvement in politics within the context of the 21st century, adapting the (post-)conciliar thought to the conditions of today’s globalised world. For Christians to do well in this responsible assignment, the starting point is Jesus Christ, both in the historical and in the cosmic project of God’s world in the making, expressed in the Old Testament as the arrival of God’s Kingdom. This article is methodologically limited, as the title states, to recognise and briefly sketch the content of a few basic theological–anthropological assumptions of Christian participation in politics, without going into the history of the issue, as well as to the authors who dealt with it in various aspects. In conclusion, we notice that the manner of religious action in politics described in this way presupposes that the believer has already left the state of infancy within his ecclesial community and is ready to make decisions within the political community based on his faith, competences and conscience, without clerical tutelage and obstruction. Full article

The Philippines’ new religious movements (NRMs) emerged in the context of the rise of the religious nationalism movement and gradually flourished during the martial law period in the 1970s. Compared with traditional Catholicism, the theology of NRMs is more realistic and temporal, therefore creating an inherent demand to become politicized. After the People Power Movement, changes in the social environment, media technology, and electoral system in the Philippines created conditions for NRM groups to participate in politics more extensively and directly. They intervened in the political process through various means, such as bloc voting and running for public positions, with characteristics such as opposition to the Catholic Church, proactive and pragmatic political strategies, grassroots appeals, and a transnational mass base. The participation of NRM groups in politics has impacted the Catholic Church’s transcendental political status, enriched the political ecology dominated by oligarchic families, improved public welfare, and provided new channels for the voice of the grassroots. Overall, the rise of NRMs has not only changed the religious landscape of the Philippines but also profoundly affected its democratization process as an important factor, especially in the coming 2025 election. Full article

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused a global mental health deterioration. The disruption of older adults’ psychosocial functions is particularly concerning given their social support and technology use barriers. Despite a close relationship between social engagement and cognitive function in older adults, little is known about the cognitive consequences of older adults’ disrupted psychosocial functions in the context of the pandemic. Aims: This study aims to identify sociodemographic and COVID-19-related predictors for psychosocial functioning in North American older adults and to examine their associated cognitive outcomes. Methods: A sample of 95 older adults aged 60 and older (M = 68.85, SD = 6.458) completed an online study from January to July 2021, including a questionnaire on sociodemographic and COVID-19-related experiences, the Kessler-10 (K10) to assess psychological distress, Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the UCLA Loneliness Scale Revised (UCLA) to index social function, and the Go/No-go Task (GNG) and Letter Comparison Task (LCT) as cognitive measures. Results: Higher psychosocial functioning was predicted by increased approach-based coping, being aged 65–69, 70–74, and over 75 years relative to being 60–64, and being in medium to excellent relative to poor health, while lower psychosocial functioning was predicted by increased avoidance based coping strategies and having average relative to low income. Psychosocial functioning was not seen to strongly predict cognitive functioning. However, being aged 75 years and older relative to being aged 60–64 predicted decreased accuracy on no-go trials and slower cognitive speed, and lower LCT accuracy was predicted by more avoidance-based coping and being in a religion other than Christianity or Catholicism (e.g., being spiritual). Conclusions: The results identified age, income, and health status as psychosocial function predictors among North American older adults, and increased age, religion, and use of avoidance-based coping strategies as predictors for decreased cognitive performance. The results shed light on future public health strategies to promote the psychosocial and cognitive health of older adults. Full article

This article draws on political theology to provide a history of sovereignty (law-generating power) and legality (law-maintaining power) across an overlooked early modern trilogy of historical events. (1) The Kingdom of Kongo voluntarily adopted Catholicism in the late 1400s and early 1500s. Catholicism became a core part of its political identity and a major way through which Kongo resisted Portuguese exploitation and enslavement. However, Kongo’s compromises with Portuguese power gave rise to a heretical movement that triggered conflict, reforms, and mass enslavement and deportation. Some of those deported found themselves in South Carolina. (2) Deportees may have been part of a ditch-cutting crew at Stono that led the largest slave uprising in England’s mainland American colonies. Their Rebellion has many Kongolese characteristics and may have partly been a Kongolese Catholic response to English Protestantism. This is especially so because the rebels apparently meant to reach sanctuary in Spanish Florida. (3) Escapees from enslavement by Protestant rivals inspired Spain to offer freedom to fugitive slaves who converted to Catholicism. While Florida had a racial hierarchy and practiced slavery, its versions of these was somewhat milder due to religious and legal influences. Free Black people, especially escapees from the English, proved loyal subjects and militiamen—and Spain reciprocated with protection and inclusion. Chronicling sovereignty and legality across these three episodes is important for telling the history of how early Americans found the heart they needed to make their world less heartless. Full article

As the Synod on Synodality has massively consulted Catholics around the globe for three years (2021–2024), this paper discusses ways in which academics with knowledge related to Asian Catholics have been involved in these processes. Focusing on this specific community of scholars, we highlight the paradoxical ways in which they contributed to these synodal conversations. They simultaneously illustrate the relatively new production of multidisciplinary knowledge on Asian Catholicism and the hesitations standing between ecclesial organizations and academia. While academics of Asian Catholicism produce scholarship not foreign to the principles of synodal listening and discernment, their involvement within synodal processes has often been indirect and filtered by their disciplinary background and ecclesial status (laity vs. clergy). Based on a survey conducted in May 2024, this paper shows that the production of academic knowledge on Asian Catholics is now driven chiefly by laity and shaped across various disciplines and places. Yet, a significantly higher proportion of scholars who directly engaged in synodal conversations were theologians belonging to the clergy. While other disciplines may have contributed indirectly, theologians were overrepresented. This creates a paradox in which synodal conversations have coexisted from a certain distance with a rich academic knowledge of Asian Catholics, and most academics of Asian Catholicism have remained outside of synodal efforts. Departing from existing theories that approach this Synod on Synodality as a vertical process, either as a bottom-up or a top-down reform of the Catholic Church, we highlight its restrained engagement with academia, a lateral community of listening and discernment. Full article

In Marie-Elena John’s 2006 novel Unburnable, Lillian Baptiste returns to Dominica from the United States intending to confront the secrets and traumas of her maternal family line. The novel structures Lillian’s developing apprehension of who her mother and grandmother were and what they endured in late-colonial Dominica around a series of revelations regarding each woman’s imbrication within the realm of the magico-spiritual, which includes magic, Obeah and their cognates; Catholicism; spells and curses; ghosts and other spirit manifestations; and extra-sensory perception. The reader comes to understand Lillian as (and sometimes before) Lillian comes to understand herself: the last in a line of magico-spiritually powerful women whose encounters with colonial catastrophe and its heteropatriarchal, racist–classist machinations are both figured through and navigated by way of that power. Where socioeconomic and political power may conventionally be regarded as the proper subject of realist fiction and social-science inquiry, and magico-spiritual power as within the ambit of magical-realist fiction and folklore studies, Unburnable proposes worldly and magico-spiritual power as inhabiting the same material, political and psycho-social plane of Caribbean reality: as mutually entangled, co-constituting, reciprocally illuminating and, above all, dually heritable forces. In this way, the novel issues an invitation to rethink questions of power in the shadow of the Caribbean plantation and consider anew the ways in which it is, on the one hand, hoarded, bequeathed and weaponized against the vulnerable and, on the other, fluid, arcane in its sources and workings, and susceptible to insurgent counter-deployments. Full article