Bishop Dónal McKeown said that the Irish Synod must be focused on “re-energising the mercy mission” of the Church or risk becoming a “curious talking shop”. The bishop of Derry’s comments come as the initial submission phase for the National Synodal Assembly begins. Writing in The Net, Bishop McKeown said that synodality does not mean…
From Whence I Came: The Kennedy Legacy, Ireland and America edited by Brian Murphy and Donnacha Ó Beacháin (Merrion Press, €19.95/£17.95) Joe Carroll One would think that there is little new to be explored in the Kennedy-Ireland relationship 60 years after John F. Kennedy’s election as the first Catholic President of the United States and its…
St Patrick’s Day and Easter coming so closely together this year, set my mind running back over what we know about the earliest years of Christianity in Ireland, more especially around Dublin. Despite the assurance with which many people speak about this period, there are many mysteries about the events of the process of ‘national…
As the United States took in almost 19,000 migrant children, labelled “unaccompanied minors”, in March, faith-based organisations such as Catholic Charities throughout the country have been doing their part to help. In Texas, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Antonio set up over 2,000 cots for their guests at the Freeman Coliseum to “welcome…
‘Resurrection’ is a film bringing light during dark times and showcasing high quality Biblical drama, Derry’s Roma Downey tells Chai Brady Set during the period between Christ’s crucifixion and his resurrection, a new film with Irish links focuses on the trials and uncertainty faced by the apostles in Jerusalem as they debate whether to flee,…
Scotland’s bishops are urging voters to consider ongoing efforts to legalise assisted suicide when the vote in elections for the Scottish parliament on May 6. They also pointed to the current efforts to introduce assisted suicide in Scotland” In a pastoral letter issued April 9, the bishops urged voters to put “human life and the…
A close friend of mine loves to give me advice about my personal life. She is very keen on telling me what to do and I am fed up. How should I deal with this? The first thing you have to consider is what is your friend’s intention. Is she genuinely looking out for you…
Personal Profile There is a temptation, when faced with the ease that abortion and similar evils are accepted in this country, to withdraw from the fight. It was exactly this temptation that Aontú representative for Cork North West Becky Kealy faced in 2018 – and ultimately resisted. “When the referendum passed, I was just devastated…
Everyday Philosophy You hear a lot in apologetics about how if the materialist image of the world favoured by the likes of Richard Dawkins was true, there would be no room in reality for human free will. But why exactly is this? What’s the nature of the tension between free will and scientific materialism, and…
The goal of the philosophical quest is to arrive at the most fundamental truth by which all else can be known, writes Dr Gaven Kerr Philosophy originated with a group of thinkers known as the Pre-Socratics. They were known as such because they worked or flourished prior to Socrates, so prior to 469/70BC. The man…
Peter Costello
Chai Brady
Wendy Grace
Ruadhán Jones
Ben Conroy