Cathal BarryThe Church teaches that marriage between baptised persons is a true sacrament, writes Cathal Barry
Month: May 2016
Vatican workers: Worthy of their wages?
With a flourish he inherited from Argentina’s legendarily populist political force, Peronism, Pope Francis from the beginning has been a vocal champion of labour and workers’ rights, backing measures such as equal pay for equal jobs between men and women, affordable housing and land, and living wages. Just last week, during his daily morning Mass,…
Polish army to police WYD finale
Courtney McGrailThe Polish army will help provide security during World Youth Day, a spokesman has said. The July 31 meeting on the last day of the Pope’s visit to Krakow for the Catholic festival will take place in meadows near the city that could be difficult to protect and difficult to evacuate in an emergency, as…
Summer fruit coasters are ideal for picnics
Erin FoxCoasters made to look like round slices and wedges of citrus fruits bring some summer cheer to a plain glass of juice or water. Because they are so light, you can take them out with you to use on a picnic. You will need: Sheets of felt in lime green, yellow, orange and white, scissors,…
No punches pulled in this reflection on Irish Catholicism and the Fifth Commandment
Violence, Politics and Catholicism in Ireland by Oliver P. Rafferty SJ (Four Courts Press, €45)
Mass can be unnecessarily hard to find
“Ireland – particularly Dublin – is becoming a cold house for Catholics”, writes Kieron Wood
How to feed a ballooning world population
William RevilleScience of Life
Vatican Roundup
Mercy is common ground for renewal Catholics and Lutherans are finding common ground in “the original, fundamental” emphasis of Martin Luther on “the Gospel of grace and mercy and a call to conversion and renewal”, the former president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity has said. Arguing in a new book that next year’s ecumenical commemoration of the…
Battling an ego crisis in the Church
Dear Editor, Two items in your May 19 issue highlight a major problem in our parishes – the case of the lay reader in Cork and the couple who wanted to be married in a pretty church. Both smack of individualism and moral relativism (basically an ego crisis in the Church) which Francis, Benedict and…
Make your voice heard on the Eighth Amendment
Dear Editor, Well done to the Pro-Life Campaign for organising the ‘Celebrate the 8th’ event to promote the positive stories of children born thanks to the protection of the constitutional amendment (IC 19/05/2016 Meet ‘Generation 8th’). Unfortunately we have a very biased media in this country, so we only ever hear one side of this…