The president of the German Bishops’ Conference has said that he could foresee a situation where priests would bless same-sex couples. Cardinal Reinhard Marx told the Bavarian State Broadcasting’s radio service that “there can be no rules” about this question. Rather, the decision of whether a homosexual union should receive the Church’s blessing should be…
Lourdes: 160 years of healing Greg Daly writes of how Lourdes surprised two famous Catholic writers At Lourdes in May 1936, just a few weeks before his death, G.K. Chesterton commented of the crowds at the torchlight procession: “This is the only real League of Nations.” The English author had in fact been reluctant…
Sweet Treats Strawberry cheesecake has always been one of my favourite dishes to make. Quick and easy, this no-bake cake would suit anyone looking to try their hand at desserts. This particular cheesecake is light and creamy in texture with bursts of sweetness from the strawberries mixed throughout. Perfect for a Sunday evening dessert,…
Novels are but one way of exploring the dimension of a subject. Many still prefer non-fiction accounts of such a phenomenon as Lourdes. For this anniversary no distinctive new books have been published in either English or French. But this seems scarcely to matter for some excellent books are still available, new, second hand or…
Fr Bernard Healy Every January, the clergy of my Diocese gather for our annual assembly. We spend three days away together for renewal and ongoing formation. Until recently this was a Priests’ Assembly, but now we have been enriched by the presence of our Permanent Deacons. We take those three days to listen to…
Dear Editor, I cannot be alone in thinking that Cardinal Kevin Farrell and the Vatican are perfectly within their rights to decide who can – and cannot – speak on Vatican territory. The report that the organisers of an event at which former President Mary McAleese is due to speak next month have had to…
Since 1858, when the first miracles were recorded, the Church has judged only a very small number of cures as truly miraculous – to date some 69. The Church can be as sceptical at times as any Zola. The most recent recognition was in 2013 of the curing of Mrs Danila Castelli, suffering from a…
There is a psalm that I have loved for many years and even more so since I became a mother. It is psalm 139: “It was you who created my inmost self, and put me together in my mother’s womb; for all these mysteries I thank you: for the wonder of myself, for the wonder…
There is growing disquiet within the Church about Pope Francis’ handling of allegations of clerical sexual abuse. Shortly after his appointment, Francis won widespread praise for setting up the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. It was a bold statement of intent that the Argentine Pontiff was intent on ensuring that the global Church…
Greg Daly
Peter Costello
Bairbre Cahill
Michael Kelly