Microplastics (small plastic fragments) and microbeads (in personal care products), are contaminating fish in the north west Atlantic, 600m down in the ocean, according to an Irish study in Frontiers in Marine Science. NUIG scientists took 233 dead deep-sea fish from North Atlantic mid water trawls and discovered that 73% had ingested plastic. “Some of…
Wonder Beyond Belief: On Christianity by Navid Kermani (Polity, £25.00) There is an old saying that “I never knew what my house looked like, as I had never been outside it”. This applies as well to religion: Christians cannot know what Christianity looks like because they never “go outside of it”. This book, by a distinguished…
Dear Editor, I find it very uplifting that the 70th formally recognised miraculous cure in Lourdes has been announced (IC 15/02/18). It highlights the sacred nature of the place, and how God works mysteriously in the world. I think it’s a real shame that in our modern age people often reduce the supernatural down to…
Fr Pat O’Hagan In anticipation for the World Meeting of Families the Diocese of Derry held a conference entitled ‘A Celebration of Family’, which was organised by the diocesan working group set up by Bishop Donal McKeown in December 2016 The venue was St Mary’s College on Derry’s Northland Road, and it proved to…
Reflect on what corrodes Faith during Lent – Pope Lent is a time for Christians to get their hearts in sync with the heart of Jesus, Pope Francis said. “Let the Lord heal the wounds of sin and fulfil the prophecy made to our fathers: ‘A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I…
Ireland is performing in the bottom half of 15 similar European countries on a range of social, economic and environmental indicators, a new study has revealed. Published yesterday by Social Justice Ireland (SJI), Measuring Progress: Economy, Society and Environment in Ireland 2018 assessed performance across the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report highlighted Ireland’s…
An investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and cover-up in Chile will continue despite the prelate tasked with leading it having been admitted to hospital for gallbladder surgery, it has been announced. Malta’s Archbishop Charles Scicluna was in Chile to meet with survivors of abuse from Fr Fernando Karadima, who in 2011 was found guilty…
When people are unable to love or accept a child with problems or illness, many times it’s because they are too weak themselves to be able to bear someone else’s vulnerabilities, Pope Francis told a group of children and young people who are wards of the state. “If I have a giant rock, I can’t…
Episode 2 of the new series The Irish Catholic Podcast has been released, with an honest and engaging discussion about dynamic Catholic youth ministry in Ireland today. Claire Devaney is the Primary School Coordinator with Scripture Union Ireland. She spoke with John Quinn about the Dynamite Confirmation programme she has developed, what she sees as the…
The largest organisation representing General Practitioners in Ireland have decided to remain neutral in Ireland’s upcoming abortion referendum, it has been revealed. The Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) issued a letter to members yesterday, February 15, acknowledging that each member was entitled to their opinions “as a matter of personal conscience”. “However, the Board…
Peter Costello
Colm Fitzpatrick
Chai Brady