Since sharing daily lives is the essence of the word "convivium," we warmly invite you to join us at the Convivium table, where the nourishment will be neither middling nor medium but large and open and contained in the message itself.

An eclectic and ecumenical roundup of incidents, events and oddities that catch our editor's eye.

On the cusp of launching a new publication to further the organization's mission of renewing Canada's social architecture, Cardus President Michael Van Pelt sat down with Convivium to explain the objectives for this venture and its overall purpose in the Canadian public policy sphere.

"Deciding to become a religion reporter at a newspaper is not unlike walking into a biker bar on a drunken Saturday night wearing a white linen suit and spats. This form of dress is not an act of wilful aggression, but it does have a way pf upsetting the balance of things. Some in the bar might laugh, some might get angry and others still might become aggressive."

This year—2011—I celebrated 50 years as a member of the Society of Jesus. I also celebrated the 400th anniversary of the Jesuits' arrival in Canada; the Anglosphere celebrated the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible; and English-speaking Catholics will mark a significant milestone in the life of the Church.

"I hope those of us on the religious left might be forgiven if we look back somewhat nostalgically on a time when genuine controversy could erupt over an ecclesiastical declaration, especially a statement such as the CCCB's proclamation that the needs of the poor have priority over the wants of the rich."

Freedom of belief is essential to any open society. It is difficult for anyone who has not lived under a totalitarian regime of one stripe or another to understand the ways of the Party-state in China, especially on the matter of religion. The world's attention is drawn to the tribulations of believers in the world's most populous nation by recent headlines such as, "Dalai Lama calls Chinese insistence on picking his religious successor 'a disgrace'," "China calls Vatican 'unreasonable' in bishop spat," and "Leading pastor in China's underground Protestant c hurch sentenced to two years in labor camp." And since 1999, shocking photos have emerged of Christians being beaten and dragged, weeping as their house-churches were bulldozed.

Eyes light up in a place of serious darkness.

"Common Life" features Canadian voices articulating perspectives on those things that connect us.

McLuhan's incarnate message, the politics of Jack Layton's death, and why Canada needs Winnipeg's new Jets.

A continuing survey of religion, culture and public life.