The Science of Being Happy
People with religion tend to be happier than those with who have none, a recent international study found, confirming previous studies. Surprisingly, South Africa emerged as the most religious of the 35 nations surveyed...
Category: Simmermacher
Why Defending Pell is a Problem
On Wednesday, Cardinal George Pell was taken into custody after having had his bail revoked pending sentencing for his conviction of sexual abuse in a Melbourne court. Since his conviction, the Internet and Catholic...
WYD Was a Camino in Every Way
Having travelled to Panama City for World Youth Day, GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER shares his impressions of the event and the people who made it happen. See the video below for a set of his pictures, supplemented by more from Catholic News Service.
World Youth Days in Italy, Canada and Germany
World Youth Day will be held in Panama City this month. In the third part of his series on past World Youth Days, GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER recalls the last two WYDs of St John Paul...
World Youth Days in the 1990s
On January 22, 2019, World Youth Day will be held in Panama City. In last week’s first part of his series on past World Youth Days, GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER looked back at the first five...
The Worst-Ever Pope?
Pope Francis, the American Facebook commenter pronounced with a certainty that permitted no dissent, “is the worst pope of all time”. Obviously that person is not a fan of the Holy Father. Personally, I...
Flashbacks to World Youth Days Past
On January 22, 2019, World Youth Day will be held in Panama City. Over the next few weeks, Günther SImmermacher will look back at all the WYDs that came before, since 1984. In January,...
This Was 2018: The Highlights and Lowlights of the Church Year
It was a difficult year for the Catholic Church, with the abuse scandal re-emerging and division within the Church deepening. But there were bright spots, such as the 200th anniversary of the Catholic Church’s...
The Big Southern Cross Christmas Quiz!
25 questions to test your Christmas knowledge! Compiled by Günther Simmermacher 1 In which country was the Christmas hymn “Silent Night” written 200 years ago? a) Austria b) Germany c) Hungary 2 On which date...
The history of ‘God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen’
Once a folk carol sneered at by purists, ‘God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen’ has a profound Christian message. Günther Simmermacher looks at the carol’s history.
A Pop Classic Was Born in a Church
A great pop classic of the 1950s was recorded in the basement of a Catholic church, as GÜNTHER SIMMERMACHER explains. One of the songs that gave the 1950s musical genre “doo wop” its name...
Like Having Dinner With Pope Francis
A FUTURE OF FAITH: The Path of Change in Politics and Society, by Pope Francis with Dominique Wolton. Bluebird/Pan Macmillan. 2018. 324pp Reviewed by Günther Simmermacher Imagine you are at a dinner party, and...
