Catholics should encourage a “vigorous debate” among India’s intellectuals “about the danger of surrendering the future of the country to the aggressive elements in society”, Church leaders have said. Speaking in Bangalore at the 32nd plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis said most Hindus do not seek to impose…
Survivors of sexual abuse who have summoned the courage to come forward have taught us many things, but one clear truth is that, in terms of its consequences, abuse is not an event, but more akin to a permanent condition. It’s not that abuse happens at a specific time and place, and then is over.…
Dear Editor, In his article following on from his trip to Los Angeles (IC 25/02/2016), I think that Michael Kelly is missing a critical point when he writes of the “vibrant” liturgies that he experienced in his visit. A key contributor to this environment of vibrancy and life is the strong connection of the families…
Pakistan remains ill-served by its blasphemy law, writes Paul Keenan Two very different ‘heroes’ were celebrated in Pakistan last week, their differing yet converging stories being instantly illustrative of the religious gulf that continues to pervade in that country. On February 29, news filtered from Adiala prison in Rawalpindi that Mumtaz Qadri had been hanged…
Staff Reporter Religious sisters have said they remain undeterred by a bumpy start to their new vocations initiative, the Sisters Cafe. The inaugural pop-up cafe which offered young women an opportunity to hear the faith story of religious sisters and to talk to them in an informal setting, was held in the Dominican Adult Education Centre…
Dear Editor, I was intrigued to read a report in last week’s edition of The Irish Catholic (25/02/2016) describing how faith and sport were the “matrix” for strong and healthy parishes. Physical Therapist Gerard Hartmann hit the nail on the head when he described how faith and sport are “intertwined”. It’s a pity that more…
Dear Editor, In the Trinity College Long Room lies an original copy of the 1916 Proclamation. As I read the words that helped establish a Republic (on the Irish model) I could not help but reflect on the deep irony of parties like Sinn Féin and in particular the Labour Party calling for abortion based…
Paul Keenan examines a report on a long-suffering Christian community African commentators are clearly divided on Nigeria’s fortunes over the last 11 months. ‘We have never had it so bad.’ No. ‘The rule of law is coming back!’ No. ‘Nigeria is in a critical situation both economically and politically.’ An appraisal of the current state of affairs in Nigeria nearly one year into the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is very much an exercise in consulting divided opinions.…
Malaria and cold weather are worsening the suffering of Mozambican refugees who have fled to Malawi to escape violence at home, according to the Malawi director for Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS). By mid-February there were more than 6,500 people in Mwanza district’s Kapise camp, 95km south of the national capital Lilongwe, with more arriving every…
Persecution is drawing Christians closer – Pope The persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Africa has allowed once-divided Christians to draw closer together, Pope Francis has said. “Just as in the early Church the shedding of the blood of martyrs became the seed of new Christians, so today the blood of the many martyrs of all the churches has…
John L. Allen Jr.
Paul Keenan