Vatican Council Memories by Bishop Michael Smith (Veritas Publications, €19.99/£21.99) This is a fascinating inside account of the Second Vatican Council, arguably one of the most important events in the history of the Church in recent times. In 1959, soon after his election, Pope John XXIII announced his intention to convene an Ecumenical Council. In…
A Catholic bishop in Congo warned of a loss of government control over parts of the country, three months ahead of a projected visit by Pope Francis. “Our people are languishing in misery, while those managing the republic swim in abundance, showing indifference toward the martyred population,” said Bishop Placide Lubamba Ndjibu of Kasongo. “We…
The Catholic Church is working to promote healing and rebuild trust with Native American communities in response to revelations about mistreatment of students in church-run boarding schools, a priest working on Native American issues for the US bishops told an Archdiocese of Seattle gathering. “This is heart stuff, not head stuff,” Fr Michael Carson, assistant…
Don’t allow pro-life men to be shut out of discussions on abortion, Chai Brady hears The “myth” that abortion is an inevitability and is here to stay must be tackled in Ireland, a prominent pro-life activist has warned, particularly as a third of people voted against legalising abortion. The 2018 referendum was a difficult loss…
It is not enough merely to have saints; we need saints for our times! An insightful comment from Simone Weil. The saints of old have much to offer; but we look at their goodness, faith, and selflessness and find it easier to admire them than to imitate them. Their lives and their circumstances seem so…
New potentially hazardous asteroid discovered An international team of astronomers announced the discovery of a large asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Earth, creating a small chance far in the future of a catastrophic collision. The 1.5km-wide asteroid, named 2022 AP7, was discovered in an area in which it’s notoriously difficult to spot objects due…
Pondering President Putin’s remarks on Russia’s role in history, I have come to think that some of Putin’s seemingly strange views might possibly be explained by the maps he used as a schoolboy. Like so many educated people around the world, his picture of the world has been seriously distorted by the types of school…
Political turmoil is robbing people of hope, writes Chai Brady Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry diocese has warned there is a danger that politics “becomes a game for parties who are squabbling” as the North continues to lack an executive six months after elections. A new election is yet to be announced but is unlikely…
The Sunday Gospel Purgation is a process of purification. Purgatory is not specifically mentioned in the Bible but the doctrine of purgatory is a beautiful development which holds in unity two ideas which might seem to be contradictory. Firstly, the doctrine of God’s holiness reminds us of God’s unique otherness, glory and blinding light, far…
Saints were revolutionaries living the beatitudes, says Pope The saints were not “starched”, picture-perfect conformists, Pope Francis said; they were “countercultural and revolutionary”. The multitude of men and women honoured on the feast of All Saints lived according to the Eight Beatitudes, which made them decidedly out of place in the world, Pope Francis said…
Chai Brady
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Peter Costello