James Butler

4 weeks ago | thenorthernecho.co.uk | James Butler

So goes the beginning of the song that catapulted Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid to fame at the Brighton Dome all those years ago. It also sums up my reaction, to put it mildly, when I saw a man cutting a similar figure to one quarter of pop’s greatest group walking my way. Although his hair was now grey, and he was wearing a more demure look compared to the glittery flared jumpsuit of his heyday, it was clear that I was in the presence of music royalty.

1 month ago | lrb.co.uk | James Butler

This month’s​ elections in England were significant without being surprising. They were dire for the Labour Party and cataclysmic for the Conservatives: neither has ever lost such a high proportion of the seats it was defending. The day belonged to Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, which took 30 per cent in projected national vote share. Labour narrowly lost the Runcorn by-election to Reform’s Sarah Pochin, a former Conservative.

1 month ago | lrb.co.uk | James Butler

Francis​ assumed the papacy in 2013 in the teeth of a crisis. His predecessor, Benedict XVI, the first pope in centuries to resign, was strongly associated with theological and ritual conservatism. His resignation was widely interpreted as an admission of defeat by proliferating sexual abuse scandals, which had shattered the moral authority of the priesthood, even among many of the faithful. Catholicism in the eyes of the world was defined by abuse, paedophilia and cover-up.

1 month ago | internazionale.it | James Butler

Nel 2013 Francesco ha cominciato il pontificato nel pieno di una crisi. Il suo predecessore, Benedetto XVI, il primo papa a dimettersi da secoli, era legato al conservatorismo teologico e rituale. Le sue dimissioni sono state interpretate come l’ammissione di una sconfitta di fronte al proliferare degli scandali, che avevano mandato in frantumi l’autorità morale del clero cattolico, anche tra molti credenti.

2 months ago | lrb.co.uk | James Butler

Francis​ assumed the papacy in 2013 in the teeth of a crisis. His predecessor, Benedict XVI, the first pope in centuries to resign, was strongly associated with theological and ritual conservatism. His resignation was widely interpreted as an admission of defeat by proliferating sexual abuse scandals, which had shattered the moral authority of the priesthood, even among many of the faithful. Catholicism in the eyes of the world was defined by abuse, paedophilia and cover-up.