A veteran religious writer has applied for Irish citizenship after renouncing his UK citizenship this week in protest at Britain leaving the European Union (EU). Scotland born John Cooney holds the distinction of being the only journalist who has been the Religious Affairs Correspondent of the Irish Times and the Irish Independent. His books include…
Fourty-two Christians accused of lynching two Muslim youths in the aftermath of the terror attack on two churches in Pakistan have been acquitted. The twin suicide bombings took place at Christ Church and St John’s Catholic Church in Lahore on March 15, 2015 which killed at least 14 and injured several others. After the attack,…
Ireland in the European Eye edited by Gisela Holfter and Bettina Migge (Royal Irish Academy, €25.00) Joe Carroll This large book (515 pages) is billed as “a comprehensive survey of Ireland’s place in Europe, providing a detailed narrative of a cultural relationship that began with Irish missionaries bringing Christianity and learning to the continent”. The…
Church officials have adopted a warmer attitude towards the reported apparitions, writes Michael Kelly For devotees of Medjugorje, shifting attitudes in the Church on the phenomenon only confirm what they already believe: that the small town in Herzegovina is a place where heaven meets earth and wonderous things happen through the intercession of the…
St Kevin’s Church in Dublin celebrated the beginning of its life as an Oratory at the weekend, more than 160 years after St John Henry Newman wanted to found one in the capital. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has given his approval on a trial basis which is expected to last for three years and celebrations marked…
The spiritual directors have been confirmed for the annual Christian Solidarity Pilgrimages to the Holy Land organised by The Irish Catholic in autumn 2020. This September and October will see two groups of pilgrims depart on the unforgettable trip to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. The first group will depart Dublin on September 29…
The Legacy of the Irish Parliamentary Party in Independent Ireland, 1922-1949 by Martin O’Donoghue (Liverpool University Press, £80.00). Felix M. Larkin Conor Cruise O’Brien, the grandson of a long-time Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) MP, was once discussing the 1916 Rising and its aftermath with his father-in-law, Seán McEntee, a 1916 veteran and foundation…
One step forward, two steps back for kids writes Róise McGagh In a modern life, the average Irish person lives quite well. The shops are full of food, people are safe from conflict, rarely face severe weather in comparison to many other countries and the world is at our fingertips; with free travel and technology…
Uruguayan priest named the Pope’s new Personal Secretary Fr Gonzalo Aemilius has been elected as Pope Francis’ new Special Secretary, filling the void left by Father Fabian Pedacchio in December. The clergyman from Montevideo, Uruguay has been known to the Pope since 2006 when Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, endorsed him for…
The different forms of consecrated life enrich communities in varied ways, writes Aron Hegarty Every year religious orders, congregations and societies around the world gather to give thanks for their calling to serve the Gospel in a consecrated way of living life. This occasion comes in the form of World Day for Consecrated Life, which…
Michael Kelly