Zoom orchestras and WhatsApp quizzes: Dublin charity St Agnes CCMA have had to innovate to bring music to their community writes Ruadhán Jones The lockdown may be coming to an end for many, but for those with underlying conditions caution will continue to be the order of the day. Pauline McHugh is 75 and suffers…
A cardinal in northern Italy has said that the Covid-19 health crisis has created “immense” poverty in the area, and now is the time to rebuild, to take responsibility, and to share resources. Indications from local charities and soup kitchens show that poverty in Bologna right now is “immense,” Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the city’s archbishop,…
Irish Jesuits in Penal Times: Thomas Betagh and his Companions by Thomas J. Morrissey SJ (Messenger Publications, €19.95) In what is now called St Kevin’s Park in Dublin’s Camden Row, just off Camden Street, which was once a graveyard dating from medieval times, there stands a monument. It is to the Jesuit Fr John Austin, who…
The View During the last four months the world as we knew it has stopped. Gone are many of the things we all took for granted. We know now that it will take years for our world to recover from the economic and social deprivation which have been the result of these months. Can you…
Child poverty could be as high as 21% if the economy fails to recover by the end of the year, according to a study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). The figures “are, sadly, not surprising” said Kieran Stafford, National President of St Vincent De Paul. “Child poverty is already at an unacceptable…
Creatures of habit, we’re lost without our routines and rituals, but they’re vital for our wellbeing writes Ruadhán Jones Since the start of the pandemic, days have melted into each other. I’ve seen a cartoon shared a number of times recently; it’s of a calendar which runs as normal until April, when it disintegrates entirely.…
Pope Francis has sent retired Pope Benedict XVI his prayers and condolences for the death of his brother, Msgr Georg Ratzinger. The monsignor, a musician and the retired Pope’s elder brother, died in Regensburg, Germany, July 1 at the age of 96. In a letter dated July 2, Pope Francis told his predecessor he was…
The Irish Blessing, originally released in May, came second to its UK counterpart in the UK Christian Music Chart for July after a public vote. Co-producer, Fr Martin Magill, says the team are “absolutely delighted” with the result, and prays that it continues to a blessing for people around the world. Speaking to The Irish…
Everyday Philosophy If there’s one thing philosophers hate, it’s scientism. This is, roughly, the claim that ‘science can answer all the meaningful questions that there are to ask’ or ‘the scientific method is all you need to acquire all the knowledge about the world that there is to acquire’. Philosophers hate this for a predictable…
Covid-19 figures and the gender pay gap get the headlines when the tragedy of abortion is sidelined, writes David Quinn The figure of 6,666 abortions that took place in Ireland last year will be seared into the memories of anyone who read it because it is horribly symbolic. But how many will get to remember…
Ruadhán Jones
Peter Costello
Nuala O’Loan
Ben Conroy
David Quinn