Pilgrimage and Spiritual Tourism in Ireland: this was the title of a seminar hosted some weeks back by Waterford Institute of Technology. The title is an intriguing one. Some will balk at the very idea of ‘spiritual tourism’! Some will apply the ‘New Age’ label and consign the concept to an appropriate receptacle. Some will…
Dear Editor, The stalwarts of the prolife movement continue the fight for life on many frontlines these days and yet we still don’t see the big picture. I heard a discussion the other day which made me jump; it was not focused on the numbers aborted or the horrifying array of methods or the blindness…
People must not become distracted by irrelevant narratives which attempt to sway voters away from the reality of repealing the Eighth Amendment, a Legal Consultant to the Pro-Life Rally has warned. Speaking at a Cork rally to retain Ireland’s constitutional protections for the unborn on April 7, lawyer Caroline Simons said that the referendum next…
Young people are increasingly feeling unhappy, writes Colm Fitzpatrick The 21st Century has been a period of dramatic technological, economic and cultural progress, meaning that society is reaching new highs – but why is it that young people are increasingly feeling so low? Almost half of young people in the UK have experienced a…
The Notebook Fr Conor McDonough Some three weeks ago a supermarket in the small town of Trèbes in the southwest of France, became a scene of terror. An armed man, Redouane Lakdim, claiming to act in the name of Islam, entered the shop, shot a worker and a customer, and took a hostage,…
Northern Ireland’s leading pro-life group has criticised the SDLP for voting in support of a pro-abortion motion in Belfast City Council to decriminalise abortion yesterday. The motion was proposed by members of Sinn Fein and Alliance Party and supported by the SDLP Councillors. The motion was carried with 34 voting in favour, 15 against and…
Parents who prefer not to baptise their children in the hopes that they will ask for baptism as adults are lacking in Faith, Pope Francis has said. While some believe that there is no need to “baptise a child that does not understand” the meaning of the sacrament, the Pope said doing so would deny…
A pro-life group has condemned Health Minister Simon Harris for attending the launch of Amnesty’s Ireland’s campaign for repeal of the Eighth Amendment yesterday. LoveBoth criticised Mr Harris for backing Amnesty International’s campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote in the abortion referendum next month, despite the organisation’s refusal to co-operate with the State’s ethics watchdog. The…
Episode 9 of the podcast chats with Michael Kelly, Managing Editor of The Irish Catholic. John Quinn speaks to Michael about his new book, co-written with Papal biographer Austen Ivereagh, How To Defend The Faith Without Raising Your Voice. This episode examines practical ways people can discuss hot-button faith-based issues without losing friendships, as well…
Catholics must not be afraid of change, Pope Francis has said in a landmark new document. However, the Pontiff also warns that people need to discern whether new thinking is from God or “an illusion created by the spirit of this world or the spirit of the devil”. In a new apostolic exhortation ‘Rejoice and…
Colm Fitzpatrick