Fr Ronald RolheiserFor the past six months, while undergoing treatment for cancer, I was working on a reduced schedule. The medical treatments, while somewhat debilitating, left me still enough health and energy to carry on the administrative duties in my present ministry, but they didn’t allow me any extra energy to teach classes or to offer any…
Month: February 2015
True definition of marriage
Courtney McGrailDear Editor, God created male and female to come together in love and marriage to assist him in human creation. That is the true definition of marriage. Yours etc., Christina Doran, Raheen, Limerick.
Time to call out the media on abortion bias
This is an opportunity for a positive, but resolute challenge to the media, writes Cora Sherlock
More people are living to a ripe old age
Dr Kevin McCarrollMedical Matters with Dr Kevin McCarroll
Talking out our real problems in the parish
Peter CostelloHold Your Head Up High: Conversations about Controversies in a Catholic Parish by Fr Patrick Delargy (Shanway Press, £10.00; contact john@shanway.com)
A church measured in millions
Pope Francis made headlines around the world last month after drawing a reported six million people to the closing Mass of his visit to the Philippines. It was hailed as the largest ever turnout for a papal event and, possibly, the largest gathering in human history. While it’s a little crude to focus on crowd…
Life’s little things
When I first left work to become a full-time parent, I recall my irritation at being labelled a ‘homemaker’ and not ‘full time mother’. I wanted acknowledgement that I hadn’t left a career to simply play house. I wasn’t choosing to shine brasses, mop floors and dance around with my feather duster, I was mothering.…
Does it make sense to eliminate the real differences that exist between male and female, including in our understanding of marriage?
The Irish Catholic has asked an interdisciplinary team, which includes Prof. Eamonn Conway and Dr Rik Van Nieuwenhove, theologians at Mary Immaculate College University of Limerick, and Mr Patrick Treacy SC of Integritas, to consider and respond to the difficult questions we all face when deciding how to vote in the referendum.
Primary school children too young for Confirmation
Dear Editor, Well done, Bishop Brendan Leahy. Yes! Indeed, why not postpone Confirmation for young people until they are at least 16 years old! (IC 29/01/2015) Unfortunately, few of the parents or students who have given feedback on the issue are keen on this new idea: and the clergy, I’m sure, are shivering in their…
Pope is right about boring sermons
Dear Editor, Regards your front page story ‘Pope wages war on dull sermons’ (IC 12/05/2015). How right he is. And I too have been one of the guilty preachers. The late Fr Peter Lemass, while working with the Catholic Communications Institute of Ireland and Radharc, many years ago had a great line for aspiring preachers…