COLUMN

5 DAVID B LA I R

‘A sensible US policy would lift the embargo while the Castros are still alive’

1 3 LAURENCE FREEMAN

‘Moving can be a great, rejuvenating life teaching, especially in the Easter season’

1 4 PARISH PRACTICE 1 5 NOTEBOOK 1 6 L ETTERS 1 7 THE L I V I NG S P I R I T 1 8 PUZZLES

BOOKS

1 9 ROBERT CARVER

Strindberg: a life Sue Prideaux

SARAH JANE CHECKLAND Mondrian in London: how British art nearly became modern Charles Darwent

SUZI F EAY The Uninvited Guests Sadie Jones

AMANDA HOPKINSON Cairo: my city, our revolution Ahdaf Soueif

ARTS

2 4 F EATURE

Brian Morton The Titanic in the arts

THEATRE Mark Lawson Moon on a Rainbow Shawl

T E L EV I S I ON John Morrish Divine Women

RADIO D.J. Taylor Al Murray

CONTENTS

1 4 APRIL 2 0 1 2

F EATURES

COVER STORY 4 France’s polling-day blues Birthe Pedersen

As elections loom, pessimism about the economy and anger at politicians are fuelling voter apathy and support for the far Left

6 Hands across to the Holy See James Roberts

A colloquium in Rome examined the highs and lows of relations between the UK and the Catholic Church

8 A city’s legacy of loss Andy Bull

Southampton has never forgotten its citizens who perished on board the Titanic

1 0 Guidance for good shepherds Cardinal Schönborn

The Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna charts the way forward for priests faced with resistance to church teaching

1 2 Faithful critics Seán McDonagh

The results of a survey in Ireland reveal that while Mass attendance is high so is support for married priests and women’s ordination

2 7 THE CHURCH I N THE WORLD

Priests’ group branded ‘self-serving’ 3 0 L ETTER FROM ROME 3 1 NEWS FROM BRITAIN AND I RELAND

Irish priests reject ‘silencing’ of liberal spokesman by Vatican

COVER ILLUSTRATION: MARIA CORTE

14 April 2012 | THE TABLET | 3