Five years ago, the historic chapel at VTS, an Episcopal seminary, burned to the ground. Now a new chapel and chapel garden have been dedicated that are “fit for the 21st century and the future of the church,” says Rev. Ian Markham, dean and president of VTS. “So many lives are formed in this space.”
Author Archives: Fred Yi
The Dalai Lama’s Doctor; Kidney Donors and Faith Communities; Laughter Yoga
Physician Barry Kerzin brings Buddhist compassion and meditation to Western medicine; an ultra-Orthodox Jewish charity finds live kidney donors for grateful transplant recipients who are also Jewish; and a growing spiritual practice combines the breathing techniques of yoga and the joy of laughing.
The Dalai Lama’s Doctor
Dr. Barry Kerzin was a California physician interested in Buddhism when he went to Tibet 27 years ago to train Buddhist doctors in methods of Western medical research and practice. Now an ordained Buddhist monk who serves as the Dalai Lama’s personal physician, he teaches doctors and medical students the lessons he has learned from meditation and the contemplative tradition of Buddhism: compassion, empathy, and selflessness.
Kidney Donors and Faith Communities
Should organ donors of particular religious traditions be able to specify that their donation go only to co-religionists? Throughout the U.S. there is a dramatic shortage of people willing to give up one of their organs to save a stranger’s life. It’s a difficult problem for the many patients needing a new kidney, especially among African Americans. One solution, as the Orthodox Jewish charity called Renewal has found, is to connect organ donors with sick patients within their own faith communities, which encourages more people to donate. Leaders of other faith groups, among them African-American churches, are using the Renewal approach in their own communities in order to encourage more organ donations. But what are the ethics of donating organs only within specific communities of faith rather than to anybody?
Assessing U.S. Visit of Pope Francis; Jerusalem Youth Chorus
The pope has returned to Rome, but his words and actions are still being debated; and young Israeli-Palestinian singers of the Jerusalem International YMCA believe in “transcending conflict through song.”
Assessing U.S. Visit of Pope Francis
The pope has returned to Rome after his historic trip to the United States, but the message and meaning of his words and actions are still being debated. We are joined by John Carr, director of Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought, and Pat Zapor, who covered the pope’s trip for Catholic News Service, about how the pope was received, what he said and did, and what the impact of his message may be on the Catholic Church and beyond.
Jerusalem Youth Chorus
This Israeli-Palestinian ensemble of high school singers of the Jerusalem International YMCA believes in “transcending conflict through song.” “Jerusalem is a place historically if there is something different about us, let’s fight about it. That’s basically the vibe. And so we and the chorus are trying to create an alternate reality,” says Micah Hendler, who founded the YMCA Jerusalem Youth Chorus.
Impact of Pope’s U.S. Visit; Pope Francis and Family Issues
Pope Francis energized American Catholics and others with his message of peace, compassion, justice, and human dignity; and some Catholics hope that the Church under Pope Francis will be open to reform on divorce, contraceptives, and marriage
Impact of Pope’s U.S. Visit
It was a busy week for Pope Francis in the US—appealing to Congress and the UN, encouraging his bishops, greeting the poor, and warming the hearts of many thousands of admirers. Managing editor Kim Lawton and National Catholic Reporter senior analyst Father Tom Reese, SJ reflect on the significance of the pope’s visit.
Susan Ross Extended Interview
The Roman Catholic Church’s understanding of the permanent nature of marriage “is really meant to be a countercultural position,” says Professor Susan Ross of Loyola University Chicago’s theology department. “The Church’s challenge is to find a way to hold marriage as this sacred bond, while recognizing the very human situation in which it falls apart.”
