Prince William has opened up about how a powerful childhood experience with his brother and late mother helped shape his work in combatting homelessness. In the Prince of Wales’ forthcoming documentary, “Prince William: We Can End Homelessness,” the 42-year-old heir to the British throne recalls visiting The Passage, a British charity for the homeless, alongside his late mother, Diana. William first visited the charity when he was 11. Diana, Princess of Wales and her son Prince William visit The Passage, London charity which supports people living on the street on December 14, 1993 in this handout image. (The Passage via Reuters via CNN Newsource) “My mother took me to The Passage; she took Harry and I both there,” William says in a newly released clip from the two-part documentary. “I’d never been to anything like that before, and I was a bit anxious as to what to expect.” He describes how Diana relieved any nerves by “having a laugh and joking with everyone.” “I remember at the time kind of thinking, ‘Well, if everyone’s not got a home, they’re all going to be really sad.’ But it was incredible how happy an environment it was,” William continued. “I remember having some good conversations just playing chess and chatting. That’s when it dawned on me that there are other people out there who don’t have the same life as you do.” Diana, Princess of Wales introduced her son, pictured here on December 14, 1993, to the issue of homelessness by taking him to The Passage when he was 11. (The Passage via Reuters via CNN Newsource) Filmed over a year, the documentary follows the initial stages of William’s Homewards initiative. Founded by the prince and his Royal Foundation in June 2023, Homewards is a five-year program in six flagship locations around the UK that he hopes will demonstrate it is possible to end homelessness. The series, directed by BAFTA winner Leo Burley, features stories of those currently facing homelessness or who have experienced it. The prince has long campaigned against homelessness. Speaking at an awards ceremony for the Centrepoint homelessness charity earlier this month, the prince said homelessness is”a complex societal issue” but that he “passionately” believes it can be eradicated. “Achieving this will require a movement that creates systemic change. A change that focuses on prevention rather than management. And one that ensures all young people have truly affordable options to live and thrive independently,” he said on October 16. In the forthcoming documentary, he also addresses criticism over whether he is the right man to tackle the issue given his privileged upbringing. Prince William, seen here playing chess during a visit to The Passage on June 14, 1993, has been royal patron of the organization since 2019. (The Passage via Reuters via CNN Newsource) “I come with no other agenda than desperately trying to help people who are in need, and I see that as part of my role. Why else would I be here if I’m not using this role properly to influence and help people where I can,” he said in another clip from the documentary released last week. The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales says Homewards will “deliver and demonstrate innovative solutions that prevent and end homelessness, creating tried and tested models that can be scaled.” The first episode of the documentary will air on ITV at 9 p.m. local time on Wednesday 30th October. The second episode will air at the same time the following day.

A sense of urgency has been growing after the role of women emerged as a dominant theme when Catholics from across the globe were canvassed for their views ahead of a meeting of bishops and lay people – a synod – which formally concluded Sunday.

The final Synod assembly document, approved by Pope Francis, said women must be given all the opportunities that church law provides to act as leaders, but left the possibility of ordaining women as deacons as an “open” question which needs further reflection.

Frustrations about the slow pace of reform bubbled into the open during the assembly when the pope’s doctrine adviser ruled out ordaining women as deacons and then failed to turn up to a meeting on the topic. He later apologized and held a 90-minute meeting with members of the assembly.

Some are unimpressed by what they see as the Vatican kicking the topic of deacons into the long grass.

Phyllis Zagano, a research professor at Hofstra University in New York and expert on female deacons, said that “there is abundant evidence of the sacramental ordinations of women as deacons in the Church, East and West, to the 12th century” and that “eventually a decision must be made.”

Francis has also faced criticism recently for expressing what one Belgian Catholic university denounced as “reductive” views on the role of women in the church. In an interview earlier this year, he ruled out the possibility of ordaining women deacons, who can carry out functions like a priest apart from saying Mass and hearing confessions.

The problem in the church is exacerbated given women make up a majority of churchgoers while an all-male hierarchy controls decision making. Furthermore, Catholic teaching bars women from ordination to the priesthood, a decision that Francis has maintained, although he has allowed studies of female deacons.

During previous papacies the question of ordaining women was not even up for discussion. The big difference now is that the 87-year-old Argentinian pontiff has shown he is willing to listen carefully to the voices of Catholics.

In a significant move, Francis, for the first time, said he would not issue a teaching document following the Vatican synod recommendations and approved their decisions, giving them added authority. “It’s a revolution that no one notices,” one cardinal told CNN afterwards about the pope’s move.

During his pontificate, Francis has also been trying to make cracks in the Vatican’s glass ceiling. He has chosen women to senior positions in the church’s central administration, including a religious sister to help run the synod and the first women members to sit on the board of a powerful Vatican department that decides on bishop appointments.

For the first time, women were also included as voting members, with 54 female voters among more around 360 delegates. One of those was Julia Oseka, 23, who is studying theology and physics at St Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is the youngest woman ever to be a voting member of a Vatican synod.

“There’s definitely an urgent need to not only realize and accept that women have an equal baptismal dignity to men in the Catholic Church, but also to take action,” she told CNN.

Oseka added that while she sometimes felt “frustrated” about the “slow pace” of decisions, some parts of the church “struggle” when it comes to the inclusion of women, and it was important to maintain unity.

Francis’ approach is also informed by the resistance to any reform to women’s roles: The declaration from the Vatican assembly on women received 97 “no” votes, the most of any section in the final document.

“There is resistance because there is still fear of this co-responsibility in the Catholic Church. But the participation and the role of the women is really a key issue,” Helena Jeppesen-Spuhler, a church worker from Switzerland and voting delegate, told CNN.

She said the pope had recognized that the question of female deacons cannot be “closed” and that it was important for the Catholic Church to send a message to the world where there is rising discrimination and violence against women. “If we don’t take a strong stand, it’s contradicting our own message,” she said.

For some, the pope and church leaders are not going far enough. “Women are looking for concrete changes and reforms that urgently recognize their equality,” Kate McElwee, the executive director of Women’s Ordination Worldwide, told CNN. “How much longer must women wait?”

Nevertheless, for a church which thinks in centuries what may seem like small steps to those on the outside are major leaps forward for many inside.

Some people love to wash their car, and for others, it’s their most hated chore. It’s a necessity for car owners, so no matter where you fall on the love-hate spectrum, you want a car wash that’s going to give your car a deep clean that lasts. Automatic car washes are at almost any gas…

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Even when you are lucky enough to start with an empty room, it can be overwhelming to design an interior that you can enjoy for years to come. Following some basic interior design principles, you can transform your space into a relaxing room you will be comfortable and happy with. Decide what your focal point will be and build out from there.  For best results, keep proportion and scale in mind as you decorate as well as these tips!

 Deciding on Your Focal Point
Do you have a magnificent bay window with an incredible view?  Is there an ornate mantle that is the reason you fell in love with your home? Or is there something you absolutely MUST HAVE in the room? Situate your furniture around your chosen focal point to create balance and equilibrium. If your room does not already have an existing focal point, create one with oversized art or add an accent point like a free-standing fireplace, they come in a variety of sizes and styles. Symmetrically balance the room evenly so that both sides mirror one another.  This will help your chosen focal point stand out all the more! Use matching accent tables to flank your sofa or use different pieces of furniture to create a copacetic visual impact, like two similar armchairs to balance a sofa.
Repetition for Rhythm
Rhythm creates a flow and helps direct the eye to the differing visual elements in your room. Just as the notes of a favorite song repeat to create the rhythm, repetition in decor will create a rhythm throughout a home. Establish visual interests with a rhythm throughout your space by placing similar colours or patterns at intervals and repeat in artwork, cushions or area rugs.

Perfect Proportion and Suitable Scaling
Who doesn’t love a large, overstuffed chair? But if your room is on the smaller size it may look out of place and make your room seem even smaller than it is. Keep proportion in perspective. Proportion is the ratio between a piece of furniture and the size of a room. Scale is the size of a piece of furniture in relation to the other pieces of furniture in the room. A super large chair will overpower an apartment of loft size sofa or loveseat and create a sense of unbalance in the room.

Have your room humming harmoniously
Creating harmony will enhance how much you will continue to love your finished. Pull the room with a subdued colour palette for a pleasing, harmonious vibe.   together for a pleasing, harmonious look with a subdued color palette. You can also use a single colour for elements that vary in size and shape. Check out our blog on Doing White on White Right! for more tips!

What is the focal point in your room?  What is your best tip to find harmony and balance through your home?