Leaders of the main religious traditions in Ireland have said it is vital to focus on restoring devolution in the North, which must happen through “ongoing dialogue”. Bishops and religious met with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, on October 8 at Stormont House in Belfast. The meeting took…
Plagiarism was the last thing on my mind when, in the winter of 1986, I received a phone call from my friend Fr Michéal O’Doherty. He was then a curate in my native Listowel, while I had a similar appointment in Dublin. He said he had just read a novel entitled Noon-Day by an author named Robert…
Ireland’s new ambassador to the Vatican is already working in Rome and will formally present his credentials to Pope Francis next month. Ambassador-Designate Derek Hannon succeeds Emma Madigan as Irish Ambassador to the Holy See. Ms Madigan, who was appointed to the role in 2014, is widely acknowledged as having played a key role in…
Personal Profile Some believers can make the Faith their own, writes Colm Fitzpatrick Very few people in Ireland can say that one of their creations has been blessed by a Pope, but luckily for retired farmer Noel Ward, he is one of these very few. The Cork-born man had a chance to witness Pope…
More than 50 years ago, James Hillman [pictured below] wrote a book entitled, Suicide and the Soul. The book was intended for therapists and he knew it wouldn’t receive an easy reception there or elsewhere. There were reasons. He frankly admitted that some of the things he proposed in the book would “go against all…
A Parent’s Perspective My daughter is studying history for the Leaving Certificate and was quizzing me recently about the differences between communism and socialism. I was just about to settle down to watch a film so I took the easy option of playing a few YouTube videos and referring to George Orwell’s Animal Farm…
A Catholic university professor’s tweets that white Republican men should die a “miserable death” for supporting Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the Supreme Court are more than just about free speech, the head of Students for Life of America has warned. “Recommending violence, death and mutilation for members of Congress is not a simple ‘free…
The leader of North Korea wants Pope Francis to visit his country and believes he would be welcomed “enthusiastically”, according to South Korean officials. Kim Jung Un is said to have expressed his desire for the Pontiff to make the trip to Pyongyang during his latest summit with South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in last month.…
Fr Bernard Healy There is a chapel known as ‘Domine Quo Vadis’ on the Via Appia, the old road that leads southwards out of Rome and there is an unusual tale dating back to the 2nd Century about the site that it’s built on. It is said that during a time of persecution St…
Garden of Ghosts and Ghouls October is the month of frights, spooks and scares, and so there’s no better way to spend this time than by experiencing an ominous Hallowe’en tour. Wexford’s Wells House and Gardens is welcoming the return of the acclaimed ‘Dare to Scare’ Hallowe’en tour, taking place in its beautiful old country…
Colm Fitzpatrick
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Maria Byrne