The National Gallery now has on display the newly restored Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph (c. 1620) by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, better known as Guercino. This is a baroque masterpiece with an interesting history, for it was the very first painting purchased by Sir Denis Mahon, the connoisseur and scholar in 1934 for £120.…
Government involvement in the Amnesty repeal launch glosses over the organisation’s flouting of Irish law, writes Greg Daly Amnesty International Ireland may have fallen foul of the State’s ethics watchdog, but that hasn’t stopped Health Minister Simon Harris from endorsing the organisation in its campaign to remove Ireland’s constitutional protections for the unborn. Such,…
Lebanese Cardinal Bechara Rai appealed to world leaders to stop the war in Syria and to work for comprehensive peace through diplomatic means. “As the great powers are beating the drums of a new war against Syria, we regret the absence of a language of peace from the mouths of senior officials in our world…
Ear, nose and throat complaints can be a source of much discomfort and are frequent accounting for a significant proportion of GP visits. One of the most common symptoms is a sore throat that in the majority of cases is caused by viral infections and doesn’t generally require treatment with antibiotics. Gargling with salty water…
A new Government natality initiative to increase birth rates to curb the increasing economic demands resulting from Ireland’s ageing population has been criticised as being ‘inconsistent’ with the removal of the Eighth Amendment, a pro-life group has said. The initiative, led by Minister for Children Katherine Zappone, plans to look at ways of encouraging families…
Colm Fitzpatrick learns about bereavement support Family bereavement is a sad reality for many parents across Ireland, but the journey from turmoil to healing is one that parents don’t have to face on their own. In the hope of addressing the shortfall of information and support that was lacking in the country for bereaved…
Win: Proven Strategies for Success in Sport, Life, and Mental Health by Brent Pope and Jason Brennan (Hachette Ireland, €16) Peter Hegarty ‘What’s wrong friend?’ said the Samaritans volunteer at the other end of the line. Brent Pope poured out his sadness, describing how low, helpless and lonely he had been feeling. Since his childhood he…
Citing “alarming concerns” related to an ongoing investigation, Cardinal Thomas Collins of Toronto has joined bishops from other dioceses across Canada in withholding funds from the overseas development agency of the Canadian bishops’ conference. At least eight dioceses have suspended financial support to Development and Peace following preliminary results of a probe that found some…
Moral outrage is the antithesis of morality. Yet it’s everywhere present in our world today and is everywhere rationalised on the basis of God and truth. We live in a world awash in moral outrage. Everywhere individuals and groups are indignant and morally outraged, sometimes violently so, by opposing individuals, groups, ideologies, moral positions, ecclesiologies,…
A pro-life group has begun a new online campaign called “12 weeks” to inform the electorate about the humanity of the unborn in preparation for the upcoming May referendum to remove the Eighth Amendment. Save the 8th will show social media users a video of a scan of an unborn baby at 12 weeks gestation…
Peter Costello
Greg Daly
Dr Kevin McCarroll
Colm Fitzpatrick
Fr Ronald Rolheiser