William RevilleWe can all remember the nursery rhyme about magpies: “One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told”. Seeing a lone magpie brings bad luck, seeing groups predicts the future. Most of us are superstitious to…
Month: December 2016
Pom pom tree to create a festive air
Erin FoxDecember is here and the excitement for Christmas has well and truly kicked in. It might still be too early to put the tree up, but you can keep your Christmas spirit satisfied by making homemade decorations while you wait. You can ‘cheat’ and make a miniature tree to gaze at while you are waiting…
Rwandan Church acknowledges role in 1994 genocide
Courtney McGrailThe Church in Rwanda has apologised for the role some clergy played in the 1994 genocide in that country. In a statement issued by the Rwandan Conference of Catholic Bishops, read out at all parishes, the prelates stated: “We apologise for all the wrongs the Church committed. We apologise on behalf of all Christians for…
Fidel Castro, the communist leader who received three Popes
Inés san Martín Fidel Castro, Cuba’s communist leader who died on November 25 at the age of 90, was by far the most dominant figure in Cuba’s one-party state which he ruled with an iron fist for almost five decades before handing over the powers to his brother Raúl in 2008. A hero to the left across the…
A minister unfit for purpose
Dear Editor, Mary Kenny is to be congratulated on her article when she asks the question: “Is Katherine Zappone fit for her Government job?”, and also to Elizabeth Twomey, in a follow up letter. Minister Zappone was a commissioner with the Irish Human Rights Commission (2002-2012) and has held leadership positions in the NWCI and…
The question of women priests
Dear Editor, Once more, the question of women priests in the Catholic Church has arisen (‘Green Party chief rejects Pope on women priests’ IC 20/11/2016). We still proclaim at Sunday Mass that the Church has four marks: she is one, holy, Catholic and apostolic. Why do we believe this? Because at the Last Supper, Christ…
Bemoaning the US presidential election
Dear Editor, I recently heard Fr Gerry O’Hanlon SJ on radio saying how dismayed he was at the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. The only alternative was Hillary Clinton. Does Fr Hanlon not know about her involvement in the destruction of Libya or the destruction of unborn life with Planned…
We need to find solutions for our under-pressure priests
Dear Editor, Greg Daly’s article, ‘Priests at risk: problems and practicalities’ (IC 24/22/2016), made for grim reading, as he quoted Fr Brendan Hoban at the Association of Catholic Priests’ annual conference, stating that he had no solution to the “depression and despair of priests”. As a practising Catholic I think we need to find solutions…
Worrying about the end of the world…
Fr Ronald RolheiserPeople are forever predicting the end of the world. In Christian circles this is generally connected with speculation around the promise Jesus made at his ascension, namely, that he would be coming back, and soon, to bring history to its culmination and establish God’s eternal kingdom. There have been speculations about the end of the…
Family of origin
Wendy GraceThe unique marital bond is not meant to be compromised by parents or siblings, writes Wendy Grace