The size of our universe is so massive, it’s just incomprehensible. Many stars we can see in the sky are so distant that they actually don’t exist any more but their light needs millions of years to travel that distance. Even reaching our neighbour, Mars, by a manned expedition remains to this day a futuristic venture, considered as a one-way journey…
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A recently published census reveals that ‘the number of British-born Christians is falling steeply while a youthful Muslim population is on the rise.’ Some could argue that such a difference is a result of immigration; of course it’s true to a certain extent, but not exclusively so with regard to Islam; many Catholic parishes in the UK still exist thanks…
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Years ago, when I came Scotland, to my shame I admit that my knowledge about this country had been next to nothing, limited to that of ‘men wearing skirts’ and of impressively beautiful landscapes. Leaving behind my homeland, friends, small achievements and the entire past that had shaped me, I started my life here pretty much from scratch, soaking up…
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Sometimes the bell ringing at the parish house means an unexpected visit of an unfamiliar visitor, looking for well and clearly defined help. After so many years I can say from my experience that the scheme is pretty similar each time. At the end of the story there is always a request for money. When I do a favour to…
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Last Friday it was revealed that, in Scotland, the number of humanist weddings is now greater than the number of Catholic ones. There are also funerals and name-giving ceremonies conducted by humanist ministers. Generally speaking, these mark the most significant celebrations of life, for so long reserved to the Church. The main difference is the absence of any religious aspect…