Questions of Faith There’s a common belief today among sceptics of Catholicism, and Christianity in general, that Jesus was just another pagan god, and so no different from the pagan deities that were believed in before him. This has become a popular internet conspiracy, and even some, though not many, scholars have endorsed this theory.…
Pope kneels and begs before Sudanese leaders At the end of a highly unusual spiritual retreat for the political leaders of warring factions, Pope Francis knelt at the feet of the leaders of South Sudan, begging them to give peace a chance and to be worthy “fathers of the nation”. “As a brother, I ask you to remain in peace. I…
The Heart is a Noisy Room by Dr Ronald Boyd-MacMillan (Hodder, £9.99) The author is a Christian activist who has had an extremely varied life, but always one engaged with getting in touch with people and telling them about the “good news”. In his third book he focuses on those inner voices which we all have,…
Personal Profile Hannah Harn Before retiring in 2015, Trócaire volunteer Tony Devlin did not think he had the time to serve his community, even though he wanted to. “I suppose all through the years I was interested in [volunteering],” said Tony. “It’s a responsibility that all of us who are lucky enough to live…
We are all, I suspect, familiar with the famous expression from Julian of Norwich, now an axiom in our language. She once famously wrote: “In the end all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of being shall be well.” To which Oscar Wilde is reported to have added: “And if…
Children’s Corner When scissors are introduced into a child’s world for the first time, all sorts of mayhem can ensue, but what could be better than putting their skills to good use and recreating one of nature’s most-loved reptiles? Turtles and tortoises comes in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours; certain species can…
Bel Canto (15A) Julianne Moore may not be Maria Callas in the singing department but she’s no slouch as an actress. In this ambitious adaptation of Ann Patchett’s acclaimed novel of the same name she plays soprano Roxane Coss. She’s interrupted in the middle of a private concert she’s giving to international dignitaries in a palace…
While it may be many years before we learn what seeds were successfully sown during last year’s papal visit, such that the jury is out on whether or not it should be considered a success, there were few who attended 2012’s International Eucharistic Congress who do not think it a triumph, a real forward-looking sign…
For the believer, Holy Week and Easter is the culmination of the Faith when we mark the saving death and lifegiving resurrection of the Saviour. Even if the non-religious relegate Easter to a mere festival of overindulgence in chocolate eggs, the glory of this festival transformed our world. The Carpenter of Nazareth revealed in the…
Dear Editor, It almost felt as if Easter has come a week early with this week’s copy of your paper (IC 11/4/2019). Fr Martin Browne’s article on ‘Getting the most from the Easter Triduum’ spelled out perfectly just what we’ve been building up to these last few Lenten weeks and reminding us that we can…
Colm Fitzpatrick
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Chai Brady
Aubrey Malone
Greg Daly
Michael Kelly