COLUMN

5 DAVID B LA I R

‘All the pent-up emotion of a generational struggle lies behind this crisis’

1 3 SARA MAITLAND

‘Neil’s crook sits in an ingenious tube glued on to the quad bike’

1 6 PARISH PRACTICE 1 7 NOTEBOOK 1 8 L ETTERS 1 9 THE L I V I NG S P I R I T 2 0 PUZZLES

BOOKS

2 1 CHRISTOPHER ALLMAND

In the Shadow of the Sword: the battle for global empire and the end of the ancient world Tom Holland

CATHERINE P E P I NSTER The Beginner’s Goodbye Anne Tyler

CLARE WATKINS Take the Plunge: living baptism and confirmation Timothy Radcliffe OP

ARTS

2 5 F EATURE

Laura Gascoigne John Piper

C I NEMA Francine Stock Faust

T E L EV I S I ON John Morrish The Town Taking on China

THEATRE Mark Lawson Making Noise Quietly

RADIO D.J. Taylor Move Over Wodehouse

CONTENTS

1 2 MAY 2 0 1 2

F EATURES

4 An ever-widening divide Paddy Agnew

The Vatican’s reaction to revelations about Cardinal Seán Brady shows the depth of the chasm between Ireland and Rome

6 Hope that grows under a tamarind tree Jonathan Tulloch

Sylvia Wright, for 30 years a pioneer in medical care in Tamil Nadu, tells The Tablet about her efforts to bring health to the poorest

COVER STORY

8 Reining in Caritas Duncan MacLaren

The Vatican’s move to take tighter control over the humanitarian organisation could jeopardise its work, says a former secretary general

1 0 A plague on all your houses Julia Langdon

Voters may be punishing politicians for the economic turmoil, but there are messages in the backlash, particularly for the Lib Dems

1 0 ‘Gay marriage and Lords reform aren’t relevant’

Peter Bingle The Prime Minister has allowed secondary issues to take over the agenda, says one observer, when people are struggling to get by

1 2 Right turn for the Catholic vote Birthe Pedersen

France’s elections may offer gains for the National Front’s Marine Le Pen, whose appeal to the young faithful could be key to her success

1 4 Voice of America Michael Sean Winters

The Catholic point of view is becoming central to public debate in the US, a change in a nation where Church and State are separate

2 8 THE CHURCH I N THE WORLD

Cor Unum chief suggests further local Caritas reforms 3 1 L ETTER FROM ROME 3 2 NEWS FROM BRITAIN AND I RELAND

Irish Catholics issue appeal for democracy in the Church

COVER ILLUSTRATION: MARIA CORTE

12 May 2012 | THE TABLET | 3