John Paul II, Dialogue with Muslims and the Question of Religious Freedom

John Paul II was committed to dialogue with Muslims, and to the defence of religious freedom. This article reflects upon how John Paul II held these commitments together as threats to religious freedom from within the Muslim World emerged during his papacy. This article argues that the central theological insight of the Council, that Christians and Muslims together adore the one God, provided a framework into which John Paul II brought deepening reflections on the different ways in which Christians and Muslims understand God, the person and truth and freedom. In his dialogue with Muslims, John Paul II witnessed to the Christian understanding of human dignity and set out a theologically grounded defence of religious freedom.

Hugh of St. Victor: Medieval Wisdom for Modern Educators

Using Hugh of St. Victor (1096–1141) as an example, the article outlines key features of medieval educational assumptions and practices that can be drawn upon to challenge and offer an alternative to the ethos and priorities in universities today. Hugh’s writings are analysed with a view to demonstrating how an approach to education that is illuminated by religious faith has the resources to provide a more holistic route to higher learning than is currently available. His understanding of the arts, reading, memory and restoration, together with his treatment of the discipline of the body, the role of example and imitation, and the influence of living in community on student learning – all combine to promote rationality, realism and virtue in service of wisdom.

Some Thoughts on Administering the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised questions about access to the Sacraments, particularly the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. To stop the transmission of infectious diseases by the minister, it has been suggested that the priest could use a nurse to apply the sacred oils to the patient or recipient while he remains in the vicinity but a medically safe distance from the bedside, using a phone to communicate with the patient. Whether or not such a protocol would invalidate the Sacrament requires an investigation of some foundational principles of Sacramental theology, including the use of instruments in the execution of Sacraments, how the form of a Sacrament must be conveyed, and the requisite proximity of the minister to the recipient. A careful analysis of these principles, in light to the suggested protocol, leads to the surprising (although tentative) conclusion that the Sacrament would be valid if executed in this manner.