Is hell empty? Pope Francis hopes so. Among the thinkers of the past century who speculated it could be so was Hans Urs von Balthasar, a favorite of the past two popes and a prominent theologian of his time.

If we really resolve to change for the better as Emma does, we can count on some grace to help us along.

His servants pulled him through the postern gate To ride in shadows to a waiting ship

an instant sharp pain somewhere near the heart and sudden ringing in the ear when no bell tolls

In his 2008 book, Tomáš Halík calls on the church to provide “dressing stations” for the wounded. Halík’s book is now available for the first time in an English translation by Gerald Turner as 'Touch the Wounds: On Suffering, Trust, and Transformation.'

Like much of Liam Callanan’s fiction, 'When in Rome' hints at the action of divine grace in people’s lives and how the protagonists come to understand and appreciate its beneficence.