A very popular app helps to learn a great selection of languages, from widely spoken ones like English, Spanish or Chinese to the very niche, like Hawaiian, Navajo or Latin or even a few made-up ones, like Esperanto or High Valyrian, the latter being of “Game of Thrones” fame. Considering the service’s wide-ranging line-up there’s a strange absence of the…
The passing of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on New Year’s Eve led to an outburst of articles, reports and mini-documentaries in the mass media. Most of them seemed to focus on differences between the late pope and Pope Francis, often presenting them as the figureheads of the polar opposite factions in the church, fiercely fighting for their respective corners. I’m…
A wee boy in the church was watching the priest, who had raised his arm and shown the congregation a white circular thing held in his hand. When the priest said: “This is the Lamb of God” the boy spontaneously thought that that thing wasn’t a lamb and didn’t even resemble it by any stretch of the imagination. Several decades…
Glasgow is known for many things, but the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers is legendary. Or, some people would say, infamous and disgraceful. The truth is that it isn’t unique. This kind of contest is widespread in the world of football despite official declarations of the uniting power of the game. In fact, the sport’s popularity relies on such a…
Usually, on 1st January I would offer a relatively short (though never rushed) Mass with just a few lines dropped as a sermon addressed to a relatively small congregation. Over the years I learnt first-hand that any serious dissertation delivered from the pulpit makes little sense as fine details get lost in the post-Hogmanay haze. Usually, the Mass would be…