In the years immediately after the ending of the Great War, or the “War to save civilisation” as WWI was once called, Europe and then the wider world became aware of the existence in a remote village in Southern Italy of a priest for whom the most extraordinary claims, not just of piety, but of…
When I meet Catholics at events around the country, one thing which always comes up is disappointment and frustration that the Church is frequently misrepresented in the mainstream media. Time and again, people complain to me about the distortion that they see in newspapers and on television and radio about what the Church teaches. They’re…
As we enter into Holy Week I find the scriptures of this Lenten season echoing within me. They are words of love and liberation. From the first week of Lent we are urged to love our neighbour as ourselves. Relationship with God is never just a ‘me and you’ affair. It is always lived out…
Personal Profile Colm Fitzpatrick speaks with a pro-life activist and campaigner Although Niamh Uí Bhriain is known for her passionate and vocal activity in the pro-life movement, her initial zeal and enthusiasm for activism has much deeper roots, originating from the influence of her parents when she was growing up. For them, it was…
Dear Editor, I was surprised to read in your paper how the censured Fr Tony Flannery has criticised Archbishop Diarmuid Martin for doing “little or nothing” to bring about change in the Church (IC 15/3/2018). Granted, there aren’t many who would describe the Archdiocese of Dublin as an especially dynamic place, but even allowing for…
Over 100,000 people in employment are at risk of poverty according to new research by Social Justice Ireland, which concluded that one in every six people in Ireland today live on incomes below the poverty line, making up 16.5% of the population. Dr Seán Healy, CEO of Social Justice Ireland, said, “If people in employment…
Longford Gardaí have launched an investigation and appeal for information after a church was broken into and vandalised, becoming the third targeted Longford Church in the past 12 months. St Anne’s Church, situated between Stonepark and Kenagh was broken into and damaged sometime between 5.30pm on Wednesday night and 7.50am on Thursday morning last week.…
Medical Matters What is the secret to longevity or healthy ageing? For centuries, scientists have searched for a so-called ‘elixir of life’ that could maintain our youth and halt the ageing process. The complexity of ageing and its genetic and biological determinants are being increasingly explored in population studies, though finding magic bullets to…
The Notebook Fr Silvester O’Flynn Blessed Paul VI called Padre Pio a living crucifix in the 20th-Century. Perhaps God saw that something more vivid than a crucifix of wood, stone or metal was needed to engage the people of our time. And so, a young Capuchin priest in Italy was chosen by God…
First and foremost, Padre Pio was a simple friar, writes Fr Bryan Shortall Padre Pio was asked once who are you? He replied: “I’m just a poor friar who prays.” I’ve no doubt that he would prefer to be remembered for this rather than all his supernatural gifts. Many years ago, one of our…
Peter Costello
Michael Kelly
Bairbre Cahill
Colm Fitzpatrick
Dr Kevin McCarroll