The experience of the sacrament of penance in the Roman rite will be slightly different this Lent, thanks to approved changes in the English translation set to take effect in a few weeks.

A Reflection for the Memorial of St. John Bosco, by Kevin Jackson

The New South Wales Police Force said on Tuesday it has rejected an application from a Sydney-based gay rights group for a permit to protest outside the cathedral on Thursday due to safety concerns.

Calls for the canonization of Pope Benedict XVI follow the trend of 20th and 21st century popes, but this "santo subito" process is not as common as it may seem today.

The decision comes at a time when Cardinal Ouellet is pursuing a defamation case against a Canadian woman church worker, who had accused him of unwanted sexual touching.

A Reflection for Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time, by Molly Cahill