It is 3 o’clock in the morning and my thoughts are too busy for sleep, so I pick up my pen.

This autumn brings a trifecta of anniversaries for those of us devoted to St. John Henry Newman.

Holy time

As a liturgical musician for more than 50 years,  I feel obliged to comment on the Sept. 13 article “Musical dilemma over abuse claims.”

Canada joined an exclusive international club last month, but there is no reason to brag.

I gave a talk some years ago to the Thomas More Lawyers’ Guild of Toronto. It was about the media and religion but because it was the hot issue of the day I spoke in part about the need for the Catholic Church as an institution to do more to combat the then proposed legalization of euthanasia.

We all want to be known for something. In moments of self-doubt and weakness we look back on our lives and ask ourselves, “Did my life have meaning to anyone? What will people remember me for?” Pastoral care is the ability to walk with others and to assist them in uncovering within themselves the Gospel that they have written through their lives.

Canadians are collectively holding their breath as they brace for the so-called “second wave” of COVID-19. As infection numbers inch up, speculation is rife as to whether we’re entering this next phase and how we’re going to deal with another round of the virus.

Next week, Pope Francis will issue a new encyclical which will add to a train of teaching that can be traced back to the Second Vatican Council or, if you can imagine it, to the eighth century BC.

Ensure equality

Canada is not a racist country. This is so obvious that it feels wrong to have to say it. Yet we saw this charge, of systemic racism, in The Register’s Sept. 6 issue.

As Canada’s bishops gathered on computer screens this past week, bypassing the “norm” of their usual annual plenary, the old saying “what a difference a year makes” was probably uttered more than once.