Ruadhán Jones explores a little-known Christmas treasure by JRR Tolkien JRR Tolkien exists in the minds of many as the creator the 20th century’s great epic, The Lord of the Rings. Epic in the breadth of its world building, epic also in the span of its action and, finally, epic in the scope of its…
The Hunger – RTÉ’s documentary on the Famine – certainly was a landmark achievement in television history, using resources with great skill. It was unsparing in some of its distressing detail – not flinching from mentioning incidents of cannibalism – and in attributing shocking behaviour to ordinary Irish people as well as to the British…
Aontú leader and TD Peadar Tóibín opens up about faith, cancer and the future of the Church, writes Ruadhán Jones Aontú leader and Meath TD Peadar Tóibín made a name for himself in 2018 when he and one other Sinn Féin TD refused to toe the party line over the question of abortion. He was…
The project leaders believe the example of Italian teen Bl. Carlo Acutis will inspire the youth of Cork through a new online course. The diocese of Cloyne launched their four-month online project aimed at 13-18-year olds on December 8. Fr Eamonn Roache, one of the project’s organisers, told The Irish Catholic that the project was…
The View Recently, I was straightening a framed photograph of my mother which sits on my cluttered office desk at home. I noticed that the photo had slipped down in the frame and that something was visible behind it. Intrigued, I removed the backing and found an undated letter from my mother. I had absolutely…
When we no longer see the natural world as something to be nurtured; the powerful seize and extract all they can from it while putting nothing back, writes Pope Francis In times of crisis and tribulation, when we are shaken out of our sclerotic habits, the love of God comes out to purify us, to…
The ‘O Antiphons’ are one final burst of Advent before Christmas, writes Ruadhán Jones Today marks the beginning of the final octave of Advent, the last eight days before Christmas. Today also marks the beginning of the ‘O Antiphons’, a series of antiphons which lasts until December 23. These ancient antiphons have been sung in…
Bishop Donal McKeown has launched a year-long celebration to mark St Columba’s 1500th birthday with Mass at the church named for the saint in Long Tower, Derry. Children from local schools joined remotely. In his homily, Bishop McKeown urged people to see St Columba as a role model. He pointed out that the main Christian…
The Church looks benignly at international organisations, but cannot do so uncritically writes David Quinn Is there a Catholic position on the European Union? By that I don’t mean does the Catholic Church believe in the EU or not. I mean is there a position all Catholics must adhere to like we must adhere to…
Letter from Rome The Gospel of Matthew never details how many Magi came from “the East,” but it makes it clear they travelled to pay homage to “the newborn king of the Jews” and “offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh”. Beyond their great monetary value, scholars say, the gifts had deep symbolic significance:…
Ruadhán Jones
Mary Kenny
Breda O'Brien
David Quinn