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‘What Ignatius gives us is not a scholastic or academic theology; it is not a theory, but a theology that is lived and experienced. In this sense, too, our theology becomes a daily action, shaping and making our lives.’ To celebrate the Feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, on 31 July, James Hanvey SJ exposes the theological vision manifested in the Spiritual Exercises and in Ignatius’s life.

A recent call from leading scientists for a month-long sexual abstinence in Southern Africa to help prevent the spread of HIV might seem to have echoes of what the Church has said about tackling AIDS; but the Church and the scientific establishment aren’t quite on the same page, argues Peter Knox SJ. Why has the ‘ABC’ campaign employed by various governments to reduce new infections had limited success, and how can the Church help to promote a different, value-based strategy?

It’s hard to know what to say about Inception without a) underselling it; b) giving away too much of the plot; or c) confusing you. The hugely exciting experience of this film does not come for free – your patience and concentration are required but will be rewarded, even if just with a distorted perception of what is real, or with something to think about for a week or so.

It wouldn’t be a Toy Story if it wasn’t laced with the skill and humour that have defined the brand since 1995: it’s the density of jokes, tics and one-liners that the original Toy Story made the norm that once again succeeds. We watched the film in 3D, which felt slightly pointless here: Toy Story 3 doesn’t need any adornment to make it better, and if this is the last of the franchise then it’s a fine end.

From the start let’s make one thing clear. This film is great. If you want a good family film that will have something for everyone, then this is it. The fact that it is in 3D adds to but does not enhance the experience. You just get the feeling it was the latest attempt to add one extra ingredient that its predecessors lacked.

For those people who prefer their narrative complete, and without ambiguity, then Catherine Breillat’s Bluebeard is a film to avoid. The surface level inconsistencies, as well as some of the criticism that has been thrown at this film, could be explained by Breillat’s choice of child narrators.

Making a 30-day retreat may seem like a daunting prospect at the best of times; doing so whilst continuing to live your everyday life seems impossible. Where do you start? When and how do you pray? What do you pray about? Having

Even if Le Concert has a plot borrowed from The Blues Brothers, and frequently entangles the themes of political drama and broad comedy, it is a winning expression of the redemption within classical music. The strength of the film is in the music itself; the comedy is less successful: generic and bordering on stereotypical, it hampers the thrust of the film’s compassion and eulogy for creativity.

On 14 July 1979, Jesuit priest, Fr Bernard Darke was killed as he photographed what ought to have been a peaceful demonstration in Georgetown, Guyana. Malcolm Rodrigues SJ describes the political unrest leading up to and following the granting of independence to British Guyana, which provided the circumstances for Fr Darke’s death. In a time of rigged elections and ‘constitutional dictatorship’, how did the Church promote peace and denounce injustice, particularly through the

For the last four weeks, the world’s attention has been focused on South Africa as it played host to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but that month in the spotlight was preceded by years of preparation and will now have a lasting impact on the lives of the people of South Africa. Rampe Hlobo SJ suggests that South Africans have been the real winners of the World Cup – how has the tournament been a turning point for the country, and in fact the whole of Africa?

I still think that the money spent on building new stadia was a waste of public resources, even though – in fairness – the public works programme that it created some jobs at a time when the world economy went through a crisis. FIFA and their friends in South Africa have certainly made a fortune even if some of this has ‘trickled down’ to the poor guys who sell flags at stop lights.

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The world has been cajoled into believing that we absolutely have to have FIFA to enjoy international football. An insider tells me that ten years ago the branding gurus advised FIFA to equate itself with the World Cup. Hence ‘The World Cup’, became ‘The FIFA World Cup’ and with even less shame they added the slogan ‘For the good of the game; for the good of the world’. Happily the South African World Cup has shown that it’s about much more than the organisers and their branding consultants.

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The Africa Chief for

Ignatian Spirituality is a way of being contemplative in action. That stance in the world requires that we reflect daily on our experience. As vital as it is to be aware of what it happening in the context in which we live politically, socially and economically, we also need to engage with our inner responses to those events which shape the circumstances of our lives.

Journaling can be one of the most helpful ways to do that.

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Is there a unified Catholic voice in the American public square, and if so, what is it saying at the moment? As the United States celebrates Independence Day on 4

Tetro spreads its arms wide: its topics are familial tension, artistic ambition and life-long guilt – but for all the big emotions there is neither enough control nor enough creativity to pull off an enjoyable film. This is a big disappointment, considering that if anyone had anything to say about the interaction between art and family tensions, it should be someone from the Coppola family.

Remembering the 20th Anniversary

In Memoriam - Father Jean-Yves Calvez SJ