Month: July 2021

The good news of Theology of the Body

Our world is mired in sexual confusion, which St John Paul II anticipated and provided a remedy for in his Theology of the Body, writes Jason Osborne Recent weeks saw the announcement of the first transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics, a development which resulted in an outpouring of anger, outrage, confusion and criticism…

On following moral rules

Everyday Philosophy There’s an interesting tension in Catholic moral thought. On the one hand, we have the prevalent idea that living well as a Catholic is not a matter of rule-following. The last few popes have spoken extensively about how authentic faith is not about obeying a set of rules, but a relationship with God.…

Faith in the Family

Christina Malone Last year my children and I started reading the children’s Bible (again). We made our way from Adam and Eve to Moses, Noah, Ruth, Daniel and many others. Moses was the one that sparked endless discussions and questions for days after. My girls were astounded that he built a tabernacle big enough that…

Recent books in brief

Time to Call Home by Hugh O’Donnell (Veritas, €14.99/£12.90) Fr Hugh O’Donnell SDB lives in Dublin’s inner-city, where he helps minister to the local parish. But in his writing and poetry he explores what he sees as “ecological spirituality”. Doubtless the cityscape that surrounds his daily life sharpens the contrast with what should be the true ecological…

Following St Augustine in the 21st century

Personal Profile Fr Colm O’Mahony OSA wears many hats: vocations director for the Augustinians in Ireland; student master for the pre-novitiate; and prior and bursar of the Drogheda community. But it was always the call of community life that attracted him to the Augustinians, and his zeal for work ‘on the ground’ is constantly renewed…

Vatican Roundup

Vatican secretary of state urges Catholic Church in Germany to unite Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, urged German Catholics to put aside visions and individual needs, noting, “the community must take precedence”. Addressing several German bishops during a church service June 29, Cardinal Parolin referred to Pope Francis’ 2019 letter on the Synodal…

Starting the day with a kiss

Myself and my wife are married 6 years, I have fond memories of our first few years of marriage always leaving in the morning with a kiss goodbye, but as the years have passed and our family has grown, each morning is filled with stress and rows and it’s impacting our relationship. I am sure there…