Courtney McGrailDear Editor, The old Irish blessing said to new mothers, “may you be a mother of a bishop”, has always been met with a tongue and cheek response, but the lovely image of Bishop Fintan and his parents (IC 29/09/2016) showed that wishful thinking can become a reality! It also showed how a family’s faith…
Month: October 2016
Call this ‘caring for children’?
Dear Editor, The Republic of Ireland is fast becoming the laughing stock of the world. Its Minister for Children was seen in Dublin, the seat of government, publicly advocating laws that would permit the killing of children. Is this caring for children? I think not. Yours etc. Fr Noel McKeown O.P., Newry, Co. Down.
What difference inside or outside the womb?
Dear Editor, In his book, The Origins of the Final Solution, Christopher Browning comments at pages 184 to 186 on eugenics which was advocated in Scandinavia, the US and of course Nazi Germany. Under the general heading of ‘Killing the handicapped’, he notes that the practice in Germany was relatively straightforward. But in Germany, the…
Inappropriate Government dictatorship regards religion
Dear Editor, Why this terrible change in attitude of both Government and leading national media regarding the Catholic Church? Once sympathetic and harmonious, they are now aggressively hostile, not missing the slightest opportunity to make the ‘swipe’. I resent Children’s Minister Kathleen Zappone dictating we go ‘fast track’ in transferring our schools away from religious…
Pope Francis brings message of peace to Georgia, Azerbaijan
Paul KeenanPope Francis has brought messages of peace and mutual respect to the nations of Georgia and Azerbaijan. Visiting the countries over October 1 and 2 under the theme of ‘Pax Vobiscum’ (Peace to You), the Pope emphasised “peaceful coexistence among all peoples”. Addressing Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili, the Pontiff noted that “the Catholic Church, which…
Unique All Hallows
On May 27, 2014, when All Hallows College in Drumcondra, Dublin announced plans to wind down its operations, there was a huge public and media reaction to the news. The college received volumes of phone calls, emails, letters, many in disbelief that such a stalwart institution of North Dublin was finally succumbing to financial and…
Mexican Church criticises ‘smear campaign’ against murdered priests
The Catholic Church in Mexico has reacted angrily to what it is calling a smear campaign against three priests recently kidnapped and murdered in the country. Last week, The Irish Catholic reported on the violent deaths of Frs Alejo Nabor Jimenez Juarez and Jose Alfredo Juarez de la Cruz in Veracruz, and that of Fr…
World News in Brief
Anger greets release of Christian-killers in Turkey Christians in Turkey have been left outraged after five men convicted of the torture and murder of three Christians walked free from court. After a legal battle of nine years, it appeared that justice had been served for Ugur Yuksel and Necati Aydin, Muslim converts to Christianity, and German national Tilmann Geske, when a…
Share in the meal, receive the Host
Dear Editor, Eucharist is a liturgy whereby we renew the Covenant that Jesus made between all members of the human race and our Heavenly Father, making us God’s adopted children. Like any covenant that is ‘cut’ between two parties e.g. marriage, there are the terms, and a communal celebration whereby both groups celebrate the new…
Religious educators gather for Veritas Conference
The annual Veritas conference for religious educators took place in St Patrick’s College Maynooth on October 1. Gathering educators and other stakeholders in religious teaching from across Ireland, the conference offered talks, exhibitors and workshops for attendees, all under the theme ‘Connect, Communicate, Celebrate’. According to Pamela Mcloughlin of Veritas, as in previous years, the…