Clarity and honesty are urgently needed around Ireland’s low vocation numbers, writes Greg Daly “Fifteen seminarians have begun their formation and academic programme for 2019 – 2020,” began the press release last week from the Catholic Communications Office (CCO) in Maynooth. “The new students are currently in formation in Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth and…
The Pope has to be careful to give equal attention to the legitimate political concerns of all Catholics, writes David Quinn It is now over a year since Pope Francis visited Ireland. There has been remarkably little interest in that fact and almost no commentary about it. That’s not a good sign. On the…
An Irish Church that existed in the penal times has been re-opened in Waterford, with a new footpath to it blessed by Bishop Phonsie Cullinan. Mass was celebrated in St Patrick’s Church on Jenkin’s Lane throughout the 18th Century when Catholics suffered severe persecution. The earliest Mass recorded there happened in 1704. A large number…
Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of child sexual abuse offences, has lodged an application with Australia’s High Court to appeal his guilty verdict. The application to the country’s highest court is Cardinal Pell’s last avenue of appeal and comes 27 days after the Supreme Court of the Australian state…
Catholic schools must take concrete action in tackling climate change, not just engage in protests, according to Irish principals. The climate strike organised on September 20 is a continuation of strikes aimed to raise awareness of human impacts on the environment and the need for sustainable practices. Schoolchildren have been at the forefront of these…
The fact that we now live in a society highly ideologised by social media and rogue journalism makes inevitable that we must ask of each encounter “is this person friend or foe?”, writes John Waters When you stand up to be counted on what have become the era’s most ideologically-mobilised questions, you find yourself encountering…
The Vatican confirmed last Friday that Pope Francis will travel to Thailand and Japan in November with stops scheduled in Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Pontiff will visit Thailand from November 20-23 in commemoration of the 350th anniversary of the Vatican Mission to Siam in 1669. He will then travel from November 23-26 to Japan,…
Government-funded lobby groups crowd out the ordinary citizen from the decision-making process writes John McGuirk The cost of the National Children’s Hospital – coming in at a touch over €3billion – has been a source of some frustration to voters over the last year. The cost of the national broadband plan, another €3billion, has…
A top Vatican cardinal is to address Irish religious next month on the Church’s missionary role in the wider world. Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, the first head of the Holy See’s new ‘super-dicastery’, the Office for Promoting Integral Human Development, will speak on the theme of ‘Mission Today in Our Common Home’ at the Autumn…
The deans of five Argentine law schools have protested the appointment of a supporter of legalised abortion as Argentina’s Ombudsman for the Rights of Girls, Boys and Adolescents since “it’s a clear violation of the federal juridical order”. On June 26, the Argentine House of Representatives confirmed Marisa Graham, a well-known abortion advocate in Argentina,…
Greg Daly
David Quinn
Chai Brady