This study provides an overview of the relations between the Romanian communist state and the Catholic Church from early 1948 through the mid-1960s. The first part of the study focuses on a brief yet eventful period, namely 1948 and early 1949. During this period, the communist state amended legislation regarding the organization of religious denominations to the detriment of the Catholic Church, denounced the Concordat with the Vatican, and initiated the dissolution of the Greek Catholic Church. The study highlights the general context of these transformations, in which the influence of the Soviet Union played a decisive role, the strategies of the Romanian communist state in the realm of religious policies, the motivations behind the denunciation of the Concordat and the dissolution of the Greek Catholic Church, the role played by the Orthodox Church in the process of abolishing the Greek Catholic Church, the Catholic Church’s acts of resistance, and the role of the Apostolic Nunciature in supporting these acts of resistance.

Early childhood is a critical period for shaping long-term developmental outcomes, yet in fragile contexts like Haiti, state systems often lack the capacity to deliver comprehensive early childhood development (ECD) services. This study examines the Leveraging the Home, School, and Church (L3) initiative in Northern Haiti, a whole child development (WCD) intervention implemented with the Catholic Church. Using the Qualitative Impact Protocol (QuIP), we explored how the L3 intervention influenced caregiver, teacher, and church leader behaviors across the interconnected domains of home (lakay), school (lekòl), and church (legliz), as well as which specific components of the intervention participants attributed those changes to. Findings reveal significant self-reported changes in parenting and teaching practices, particularly in the areas of positive discipline, home learning, and social-emotional learning, with participants consistently attributing these shifts to their involvement in L3 training. While the church served as a vital platform for convening and lent symbolic legitimacy to WCD messaging, its role in directly driving behavior change was limited. These results highlight the potential of integrated, systems-based approaches to support child development in low-resource settings and point to the need for further research on optimizing the role of faith-based institutions in ECD programing.

Book Review: <i>Why I Am Roman Catholic, Ecumenical Dialogue Series</i> by Matthew Levering Why I Am Roman Catholic, Ecumenical Dialogue Series, by LeveringMatthew. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2024. 176 pp. ISBN 9781514003145. Paperback. $18.99.

Sermons preached by clerics have been largely neglected by scholars as a resource for the study of the history of English ecclesiastical law since the Reformation. Needless to say, scholarship has focused on the substantive and procedural ecclesiastical law found in the ecclesiastical legislation of Parliament, the canons passed by the convocations, the case law of the spiritual and temporal courts and the treatises of the civilian commentators. However, some historians of early modern England have studied the sermons delivered at the Inns of Court; but these studies have little to say about their preachers’ portrayal of the ecclesiastical law and its jurisprudence. 1 Nevertheless, as we shall demonstrate, in each century since the Reformation, clergy in their preaching commonly treated legal matters or else used legal materials, including ecclesiastical law. The eighteenth century is no exception – and Thomas Sherlock (1678–1761) is an excellent example, whose function included as Master of the Temple (1704–1753) preaching to the common lawyers of Inner and Middle Temple. What follows deals with his life and career, law in his sermons (including jurisprudential concepts common to both the temporal and the spiritual law), and his legal thought in wider context – all at a time when the law was an inescapable part of the religious landscape, the limits on toleration, the constraints on Roman Catholics, and the provision for occasional conformity. 2

The objective of this article is to analyze the vision of the written press of Tarapacá about the Fiesta de La Tirana between 1891 and 1937. Through the critical analysis of Van Dijk's discourse and its contextual relationship, we seek to identify the importance of the press as a shaper of representations and of the religious system of the Tamarugal area, evidencing the change in the narratives, which went from a critical view to a positive one. This process was influenced by the consolidation of the festivity, the rapprochement between the Catholic Church and the religious dances, and the disappearance of some newspapers. Likewise, two fundamental axes can be identified in these narratives: a nationalist one, which in its first discourses characterized the festivity as a pagan practice, and an enlightened one, which conceived it as an obstacle to civilization and economic interests.

In 1950, the state socialist government of Hungary decided that the education of Roman Catholic, Reformed and Lutheran pastors could no longer be provided within the framework of the state universities, so the Evangelical-Lutheran Faculty of Theology in Sopron had to be separated from the University of Pécs within a few months and a (nominally) church-funded pastoral education institution, the Evangelical-Lutheran Theological Academy, had to be organised. An important part of this process was the selection of the academic staff members, which I would like to present in the memoirs of Dean Károly Karner. This source, on the one hand, provides a good summary of the events that took place in the autumn of 1950, and on the other hand, it was intended to underpin the legality of the dismissal of Professor Lajos Jánossy, and thus, although the document is undated, it can be placed in the context of a church rehabilitation process of Jánossy that took place in 1956/1957.

ABSTRACT The paper looks into the politics of gender in Slovenia after the collapse of the Yugoslav federal state. Gender, and women's gender and sexual roles in particular, are considered social anchors of continuity. In post-socialist transition society, however, the opposite is true. Break from the gender norms and identities of the preceding epoch of socialist modernity is deemed a vital element of social transformation of the nation back towards the “tradition.” In Slovenia, Catholic Church, in collaboration with right-wing nationalist parties, has been a central voice in disseminating the idea of the alleged socialist gender excess, and its deviation from the historical norm. The analysis focuses on selected art projects which became targets of moral outrage to outline these broader political implications hidden beneath the attempts to scandalize arts and its cultural alternatives to post-socialist patriarchy.

Purpose This study aims to examine the creation and dissemination of disinformation in Early Modern English printed works, with a particular focus on John Foxe’s Edition of Ælfric’s Easter Homily. From Foxe’s first printing of Ælfric’s Easter Homily in his 1570 Acts and Monuments (Book of Martyrs) to the 1684 edition, his omissions in the homily survive for over 100 years of printing. Foxe’s deliberate exclusion of what are considered the “Catholic” sections in Ælfric’s Easter Homily was used to fuel Protestant propaganda and subdue all members of the Catholic faith, which demonstrates how he was engaging in the creation and dissemination of disinformation for political gain. This study examines the sections of Ælfric’s Easter Homily that Foxe omitted in his Book of Martyrs through an interdisciplinary lens of a Critical Disinformation Studies framework and a History of the Book approach, showing that while technologies significantly changed over time, human behavior and engagement with disinformation have not. Design/methodology/approach Leaning into David Armitage’s work “In Defense of Presentism” and his argument that it can promote human flourishing by connecting past events to contemporary concerns, this study contributes to the broader literature of Information History. Using a Critical Disinformation Studies framework outlined by Rachel Kuo and Alice Marwick in their article, “Critical disinformation studies: History, power, and politics,” alongside a History of the Book approach, nine editions of Ælfric’s Easter Homily printed in John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs are carefully examined and analyzed to show how and why Foxe created and disseminated disinformation for political, religious and financial gain and how early modern behaviors around disinformation inform how we engage with disinformation in a postmodern world. Findings This paper illuminates how and why John Foxe was empowered to create a calculated disinformation attack against vulnerable and oppressed individuals. This study is one example of how an interdisciplinary approach can lead to a better understanding of how and why disinformation was created, documented and disseminated to manipulate and target specific audiences for political gain in early modern England. Furthermore, it demonstrates how human behavior and engagement in the creation and dissemination of disinformation have not changed significantly. Research limitations/implications This paper focuses on disinformation in Early Modern English print, so it is limited by time, race, religion, geographic location and medium. There is great potential to apply and amend this same framework for other geographic locations, time periods and medium. Originality/value An overlooked and understudied area in medieval and early modern studies, this paper demonstrates how to systematically employ a framework from Critical Disinformation Studies and a History of the Book approach to understand the powerful players behind disinformation creation in early modern England and center those who are harmed by disinformation.

In this essay, I argue that the Premonstratensian or Norbertine Order located in Berne Abbey in the Netherlands responded strongly to a call for international ministry by going to northeast Wisconsin for Walloon settlers from Belgium and their descendants in 1893. However, these priests and brothers fell much farther short of internationalism in the mission to the Oneida Nation reservation they received in 1898. I will make my case by detailing these two missions and analyzing how the Norbertines acknowledged their international nature and practiced or failed to practice internationalism in them. Diving into the mission histories requires discussion of Catholic fears of and competition with the Old Catholic Church in Europe and the Spiritualist movement and Episcopal Church in the United States. My essay will utilize letters written by Norbertines, newspaper articles contemporaneous to these missions, histories produced throughout the order’s time in Wisconsin, and scholarship on the Catholic Church between the First and Second Vatican Councils. I conclude that the lack of internationalism in the Norbertine mission to the Oneidas reflects a longer historical tension in the Catholic Church between recognizing and denying the sovereignty of Indigenous communities as nations.

This article investigates whether the Eastern Orthodox Church has articulated a common and official position toward the Catholic Church. A dynamic and contextual framework is applied, treating conciliar acts, patriarchal encyclicals, and synodal letters as an open corpus ordered by representativeness and reception. The method combines qualitative and quantitative approaches: qualitative analysis assesses clarity, coherence, diachronic continuity, and theological significance, while quantitative indicators – signatures, translations, and the absence or presence of opposition – serve as positive and negative signs of acceptance. Among nineteenth- century encyclicals (1836, 1838, 1848, 1895, 1902/1904), the 1848 Encyclical (E48) emerges as the most representative. Signed by four patriarchs and 33 hierarchs, it directly responded to a papal appeal, achieved wide acceptance, and has never been formally opposed. Though not the outcome of an ecumenical council, E48 demonstrates the strongest contextual authority. E48 stands as the most viable candidate for further study as a potential expression of a common EOC official position vis-à-vis the Catholic church, while highlighting the need for continued interdisciplinary analysis of doctrinal texts.

The Holy Year of 1925, proclaimed by Pope Pius XI, was a milestone in 20th-century church history, influencing not only Italy but also Central Europe, including Czechoslovakia. It sought to inspire spiritual renewal and reconciliation in a post-war world struggling with economic crises and political instability. This study examines the impact of the Holy Year on the Catholic Church in Czechoslovakia, focusing on its role in religious discourse and its relationship with political power. Using Czech and Vatican sources, contemporary newspapers, and ecclesiastical documents, it explores the impact of this event on Catholic identity in interwar Czechoslovakia. Despite political and economic challenges, the Holy Year saw peaceful expressions of faith, with 582 000 pilgrims travelling to Rome. Although Czechoslovak participation was limited, it still demonstrated the commitment of local Catholics to their faith. The event also underscored the Church’s broader international role, as Pope Pius XI strengthened Catholicism’s global presence in both religious and social spheres. For Czechoslovakia, the Holy Year provided an opportunity to strengthen Catholic influence nationally while fostering solidarity with the wider Catholic world.

The paper analyses data contained in the questionnaire completed by the Roman Catholic priests of the Litoměřice diocesis in 1973 when bishop Štěpán Trochta was once again its head. This source gives evidence of a strenuous pastoral activity in places stricken by the expulsion of German inhabitants including the clergy, the dismal state of sacred monuments, the contemporary state of the liturgical reform of Vatican II in individual churches and chapels, and the daily life of ecclesiastical administrators. The paper describes the transformation of the religious profile of the region after the Second World War, the relation of the largest religious organizations to the expulsion, and the efforts to resolve a pastoral crisis after 1945. It confirms the crucial role of the local ecclesiastical administrators concerning the access to the liturgical reform. Although there often occurred radical interventions into liturgical spaces, rarely was their course in accordance with conceptual and pre-approved procedures and in cooperation with the authorities of built heritage preservation.

Abstract Digital communication technologies have profoundly transformed contemporary society, reshaping interpersonal relationships, cultural identity, and social structures. From early computing to the Internet, social media, and artificial intelligence, digital media have expanded opportunities for global connectivity, participation, and access to information. However, these developments also generate serious ethical challenges, including misinformation, surveillance, polarization, and the weakening of authentic human communion. This paper offers an ethical evaluation of digital communication in light of the Catholic Church’s pastoral instruction Communio et Progressio (1971). Grounded in a Trinitarian theology of self-giving love, the document understands communication as fundamentally oriented toward communio—the building of unity, truth, and the common good. By emphasizing shared freedom, moral responsibility, and the necessity of media education, Communio et Progressio provides an enduring framework for guiding ethical engagement within today’s digital culture. The study argues that digital communication can serve human flourishing only when rooted in truth, respect for human dignity, and solidarity. Ultimately, digital media participate—however imperfectly—in God’s own self-communication and must therefore be shaped toward authentic communion rather than fragmentation. Keywords: Digital Communication; Communication Ethics; Communio et Progressio; Social Media; Artificial Intelligence; Media Literacy; Human Dignity; Truth; Freedom; Communion; Common Good

Abstract One of the most significant legacies of Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) to the Catholic Church is the practice of spiritual discernment . Traditionally, this Ignatian spiritual heritage has been understood primarily as a personal or individual process of seeking God’s will. In recent times, however, there has been a marked shift among Ignatian practitioners – from individual discernment toward communal discernment. A further question then arises: Can communal discernment be meaningfully practised across two different religious communities – for instance, between Catholics and Muslims? Grounded in a spiritual‐theological framework and informed by a recent interfaith experiment held in Jakarta on 10–12 May 2025, this article examines the extent to which resonance between Islamic and Catholic spirituality can serve as a foundation for shared spiritual practice. The discourse presented here aspires to deepen and transform the vision of Nostra aetate . On the one hand, it engages in a dialogue of spiritual experience (spirit); on the other, it does not neglect the body, as it also addresses the real and urgent issues confronting humanity today – particularly within the Indonesian context.

Promising to “Make America Great Again” and to “Make America Healthy Again,” the second presidential administration of Donald J. Trump has proposed and executed significant cuts to mental healthcare in the United States. These initiatives have imperiled millions of Americans, even as the administration has sometimes defended itself through appeals to the common good, Catholic social teaching, and Catholic faith. This article uses the common good as understood in Roman Catholic magisterial teachings and Catholic social thought to evaluate the administration’s mental healthcare initiatives. Although a few of the administration’s proposals might support the common good, overall, its policies undercut its own stated goals and, more crucially, violate the common good’s communitarian outlook and instrumental and intrinsic dimensions. In the hope of reaching those whom it largely criticizes, this article offers ways in which the Trump administration, conservative policymakers, and/or their supporters might reconsider these initiatives, the common good, and policymaking more generally. The article concludes by identifying trajectories for future research in Christian ethics on the moral agency of people with mental health challenges, the common good, and the continued integration of Catholic social ethics and Catholic virtue ethics.

The development of digital technology and social media has opened new opportunities for the Catholic Church to spread its teachings to the digital generation. Digital evangelization has become important in this modern context, especially to reach those who may not be involved in traditional religious practices. The method used in this research is a literature review, where the researcher collect various articles to explain the topic. The research results show that the effective implementation of digital evangelization requires an improvement in the quality of presenting the Church's core values and ease of acceptance by the target audience. Through the right strategies, social media and digital platforms can become powerful tools for spreading Catholic teachings to the digital generation. Therefore, it is important to educate catechists and the faithful about the ethical use of social media and digital technology to ensure that the message of evangelization is conveyed in an effective and meaningful way.

This article seeks to understand the role of the Catholic Church in the mobilization of peasant women for participation in an MST occupation. Drawing on Oral History, we analyze how the Church, guided by Liberation Theology, played a fundamental role in the ideological formation of rural women workers, providing elements for the conception of agrarian reform as the realization of divine justice. We argue that, from the mobilization initiated within the Church, these women assumed positions of protagonism in the struggle for land, thus challenging traditional gender norms and forging paths for the re-signification of the relationship between faith, gender, and politics.

Spirituality is widely recognized to play an important role in the experience of terminally ill cancer patients, and several studies have shown that spiritual dimensions in their care can significantly enhance their quality of life and emotional well-being. The FICA© Spiritual History Tool, developed by Dr. Christina Puchalski, provides clinicians with a framework for addressing patients' spiritual histories. The aim of this study was to translate, culturally adapt, and apply the FICA© Spiritual History Tool in a sample of Italian end-of-life cancer patients and to identify the spirituality-related themes that emerge. The cultural adaptation process included forward-backward translations of the FICA© Spiritual History Tool, followed by its application through in-person conversations. Of the 95 eligible participants, 80 terminally ill cancer patients (84%) were included. A thematic analysis of the responses was conducted. Findings indicated that spirituality can provide a source of support for many Italian patients coping with terminal cancer. Spirituality was most frequently reflected with the Catholic faith. Some participants reported not belonging to any specific religious community; instead, they primarily relied on the support received from family and friends. The Italian version of the FICA© Spiritual History Tool is clear, understandable and focused on exploring spirituality and its relevance in end-of-life conversations. Healthcare providers (HCPs) should be informed about and encouraged to use this tool to gather essential information about their patients' spiritual history and perspectives, supporting personalized care beyond their physical illness.

ABSTRACT Owing to historical legacy, the Catholic church is the largest provider of primary education in the Republic of Ireland. Governance of primary schools, including responsibility for upholding school ethos, falls under the legal remit of the largely volunteer school Board of Management (Board of Governors/School Board). This article examines Board of Management oversight of ethos responsibilities and practices within Catholic primary schools in Ireland. Drawing on findings from the GRACE (Ireland) research project entitled Identity and Ethos in Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Ireland, Exploring the Attitudes and Behaviours of Stakeholders, it investigates the effectiveness of existing Board of Management structures in upholding the Catholic ethos. The analysis reveals significant challenges in the communication and training of Board of Management members, and accountability systems. Furthermore, a noticeable disconnect exists between the stated vision for Catholic education and its lived reality in many schools as illustrated by the provision for Religious Education. The article concludes by highlighting the need for increased investment in systemic supports for Boards of Management, more robust engagement between patrons and the Department of Education, and a re-evaluation of current oversight mechanisms to ensure the enduring vitality of Catholic education in a changing societal landscape.

ABSTRACT Beginning in the 1960s, the Church underwent a programme of profound transformation because of the Second Vatican Council. In Spain, this process of renewal was undermined by the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, which began to decline in the last years of the decade. At the same time, the religious magazine Vida Nueva initiated a path of innovation that consisted in moving from family publication to a journalism specialised in religious information. This study analyses the contents of the editorials published by Vida Nueva from 1968 to 1975, with the aim of exploring how this magazine considered itself, and how it understood the role of general and religious journalism. The results reveal that the weekly defined itself as a Christian, conciliar, critical, and independent publication. Its principal objectives were to analyse in depth religious news, promote a renewal of the Church able to read the signs of the times and renew its mission to serve the world, and commit to social transformation in Spain.