Greg DalyThe Government’s approach to the referendum raises questions about the nature of our democracy writes Greg Daly
Month: January 2015
Would the real Thomas More please stand up
David QuinnHistory can be shaped to reflect perspectives, writes David Quinn
Pro-family means supporting parents
Mary KennyWhat is informally called the Pope’s ‘rabbit’ speech – when he remarked that families don’t have to “breed like rabbits” – scarcely needed underlining in most European countries today. Far from “breeding like rabbits”, the European fertility rate is catastrophically low. And even in Ireland, where fertility has traditionally been high – and even valued…
Handing over Catholic schools
Courtney McGrailDear Editor, Cathal Barry (IC 08/01/2015) reports the proposal of the Forum on Diversity’s Professor Coolahan that Catholic schools be financially penalised for not takings a proactive stance in handing over Catholic schools to secularists. His proposed discrimination is most alarming. Two years ago the Department for Education undertook a massive patronage survey in the…
Gov is accused of excluding people clinging to the margins
Mags GarganA cleric at the forefront of social justice campaigning has accused the Government of further excluding people who are already clinging to the margins of society in a new review of State policy. A review of Government policies released by Social Justice Ireland this week, which analyses how Ireland is performing on reaching its national…
Belfast clergy host festival to promote generosity
An inter-denominational festival aimed at promoting cross-community friendship and global generosity has been launched by Belfast’s Lord Mayor. Now in its third year, the 4 Corners Festival, which runs from January 29 to February 8, grew out of conversations between Fr Martin Magill, parish priest at Sacred Heart parish and Rev. Steve Stockman of Fitzroy Presbyterian…
Vladimir Putin’s ‘united’ Russia: a nation adrift
Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey into the Heart of Russia by David Greene (Alma Books, £12.99)
The positive side of feeling down
Fr Ronald RolheiserNormally none of us like feeling sad, heavy, or depressed. Generally we prefer sunshine to darkness, light-heartedness to melancholy. That’s why, most of the time, we do everything we can to distract ourselves from melancholy, to keep heaviness and sadness at bay. We tend to run from those feelings inside us that sadden or frighten…
The blessing of St Blaise
Erin FoxThe feast of St Blaise is in a few days on February 3. Not much is known about St Blaise except that he is the patron saint of sore throats and wild animals. More is known about devotion to him rather than his life itself. On his feast day, the anointing of the sick takes…
Preserve Jewish heritage – bishops
Poles should do more to maintain Poland’s synagogues and Jewish cemeteries, according to the Polish bishops’ Commission for Dialogue with Judaism. Pointing to how 3.5 million Jews lived in Poland prior to the Holocaust, the bishops said: “We often don’t realise that, in our localities and neighbourhoods, Jews lived, worked and created as our elder…