Years ago I was reading a book on the train. In many aspects it undermined my well-established opinions on many matters. At one point the book was so controversial that I wanted to chuck it out through the window of the train. Fortunately my respect for social rules prevailed and the book left the train in my bag. Later on,…

As far as I remember I’ve always been a practising Catholic. By practising I mean going to church regularly, making confession regularly, attending catechesis regularly. It was quite an achievement considering it was happening in a communist country officially irreligious and openly anti-clerical. But before I reached the age of seventeen I’d never had the Bible in my hands, and had never…

A month ago many of us were finalising our preparations to Christmas: adding final touches to make the house spotless, to decorate the Christmas tree, to buy more food ‘just in case’ and to look for last-minute presents; or to pack bags to go away. Whatever we were doing just before Christmas, it had one main purpose: to have a…

In accordance with the law, the first son of the Duchess of Cambridge will be heir to the throne, even if he has an older sister. A couple of years ago an effort was made to change the law that the first child, regardless of its sex, would be the heir to the throne. It became even more urgent when…

A twenty one year-old American student has just gained a restraining order against her parents. They must remain at least 500 feet from their only child or risk arrest, and must make no attempt to contact her until after September 23 next year. A judge ruled in court that the student must be allowed to live as she chooses, and the…