Extended church reopens
Bishop Charles Cox of the Transvaal vicariate presided over a sung Mass at the church of La Rochelle in Johannesburg, which had been closed for extension work for two months. It was the second time in six years that the church had to be extended under the leadership of parish priest Fr Peron. It can now hold almost 600 people, but was already overflowing at the reopening Mass.
Anti-Catholic laws remain
The British government has declared that it will not, in the present session, change any latent laws which could be invoked to discriminate against Catholics.
Editorial: Faith of Our Fathers
In his editorial, Mgr John Morris comments on a sermon delivered by a Dutch Reformed minister in Cape Town’s Groote Kerk which called on young sailors to go back to the “faith of their fathers”. There is “no sense or logic” if by that the dominee “means a return to that historic revolt against revealed Truth which today is represented by a bewildering confusion of religious thought”. Instead he ought to “carry these Dutch boys … back to the supreme authority of the Church of Christ which in spite of libel and slander and persecution survives all the crowded controversy of profane centuries”.
- At the heart of Jesus’ teachings lies the mystery of the Kingdom of God, which today’s Gospel likens to treasure and a pearl (cf. Mt 13:44–52). The parables convey the surprise of those who find something far beyond what they could have hoped for, so much so that selling or leaving everything behind no longer seems a sacrifice, but a gain. - July 26, 2026
- R to @Pontifex: Let us #PrayTogether for all those peoples throughout the world who are suffering because of war. May the Lord touch the hearts and enlighten the minds of those in power, so that reconciliation and #peace may soon prevail. - July 26, 2026
- R to @Pontifex: I likewise renew my plea regarding the situation throughout the #MiddleEast, where the intensification of military operations has again wreaked violence and destruction, endangering the lives of countless civilians and further aggravating the shortages of drinking water and electricity. From the depths of my heart, I exhort all parties involved to suspend the attacks and urgently reopen paths of dialogue and diplomacy, so that the longed-for peace for the entire region may be achieved without delay. - July 26, 2026
