Is the Pope’s jubilee year going to be a flop? Philosophy’s classic head-scratcher asks if a tree falls in the forest but no one’s there to hear it, does it make a sound? In 2016, Pope Francis may face his own personal version of that conundrum: If a Pope calls a jubilee year but no…
Paul Keenan looks at those pastoral workers lost to violence in the last 12 months Statistics by their nature are flat, dry things. Designed more for the summation of the ‘state of play’ for, say, Wall Street stocks or the standing of political parties at a given time, statistics offer an emotionless picture that fails…
The coffin of Gisela Mota, mayor of Temixco, Mexico, is carried from her home. Ms Mota was killed on January 2, one day after taking her oath of office. Cuernavaca’s Bishop Ramon Castro Castro said the murder had clearly been intended to send the message “if you don’t cooperate with organised crime, look at what’s…
‘An ocean of mercy transcends human misery’ – Pope God’s mercy transcends the misery that so often marks human experience, Pope Francis has said. “A torrent of misery, swollen by sin, seems to contradict the fullness of time brought by Christ”, he said in a homily at St Peter’s Basilica on January 1, asking, “how can the fullness of time have come when…
South Africa’s Catholic justice and peace commission has called for a halt to nuclear procurement plans and a referendum on the issue, claiming that the risks of adding nuclear energy to the financially beleaguered country’s power grid outweigh its economic benefits. According to a statement from the commission’s chairman, Kimberley’s Bishop Abel Gabuza, the country…
The leading US Democratic candidate has said she believes ISIS’ campaign against Christians constitutes genocide. Hillary Clinton was asked at a New Hampshire meeting whether she would join faith and secular leaders from across the political divide “in calling what is happening by its proper name, genocide”. She replied that she would do so “because…
Christmas is over and the new year is here yet it’s not too late or even too early to make decorations for next Christmas. During the Christmas holidays, it can be easy to forget to make New Year’s resolutions when you are caught up in all of the festivities. Making your resolutions early in January…
The Belgian spiritual writer, Bieke Vandekerckhove, comes by her wisdom honestly. She didn’t learn what she shares from a book or even primarily from the good example of others. She learned what she shares through the crucible of a unique suffering, being hit at the tender age of 19 with a terminal disease that promised…
The Church teaches that the Eucharist strengthens our charity, which tends to be weakened in daily life, writes Cathal Barry The Church teaches that Holy Communion “augments” the recipient’s union with Christ. “The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church…
Dear Editor, In The Irish Catholic (31/12/2015) George Hook was like a firework going off for New Year’s Eve. Few people expected his happy call back to faith. Welcome to the fold, George. George is the type who would take up with gusto the challenge of moderns who claim, as he suggests, that “it is…
John L. Allen Jr.
Paul Keenan
Erin Fox
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Cathal Barry
Courtney McGrail