Editor’s Comment The last year has been another bloody one for Christians around the world. Persecution continues to be a feature of the life of many Christians in the 21st Century – we hardly need reminding of the sober fact that the last 100 years has seen more Christians die for the Faith than in…
The gothic cathedrals of Europe are recognised as one of the glories of European art. Every year hundreds of thousands, in some cases even millions, visit such places as Notre Dame de Paris, Amiens, and Chartres – indeed the great rose window of Chartres is one of the wonders of human ingenuity in praise of…
JANUARY The New Year started grimly, as 22 Catholic church workers were murdered in 2021, according to Fides, the Vatican’s missionary news agency. Some 13 priests, one religious brother, two religious sisters and six laypeople were killed in the course of their ministry in situations of extreme poverty, war or civil tensions. One of Ireland’s…
A large crowd processed through Wexford town with a statue of Our Lady to mark the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The Faithful who gathered December 8 prayed the rosary as the candlelit procession made its way from the Franciscan Friary. The feast, which celebrates Mary’s immaculate birth without the stain of original sin, is…
A film year in review Gingerly we stepped out of Covid-19. We were hit with films that that were delayed – but not derailed – by the virus: Munich, Cyrano, Memoria, Cow. February brought A Journal for Jordan, The Eyes of Tammy Faye and a blockbuster, Jurassic World. I seemed to be watching these kinds…
Saying that retired Pope Benedict XVI was “very sick,” Pope Francis asked people to offer special prayers for him. “I would like to ask all of you for a special prayer for emeritus Pope Benedict,” Pope Francis said at the end of his weekly general audience today (Wednesday). The 95-year-old retired Pope “is sustaining the…
Chai Brady and Ruadhán Jones Thousands of pilgrims have flocked to Bethlehem to visit the birthplace of Christ to celebrate Christmas for the first time post-Covid after pandemic restrictions meant the holy city was enveloped in silence during the normally festive period. Pilgrims have travelled from all over the world to venerate the spot where…
Ireland’s bishops have offered their sympathy following the killing of an Irish UN peacekeeper in Lebanon last week. On behalf of the Irish bishops’ conference, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh and Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin said it was a “tragic event”. It is the first time in more than 20 years an Irish soldier…
Sending Christmas cards is associated with better mental health, especially among Christians, a study from the University of Limerick has shown. The study found that depressed people were less likely to send Christmas cards than non-depressed people. Sending Christmas cards is “more than just the exchange of pleasantries and good wishes over the festive season”,…
Following Pope Francis call to release prisoners on Christmas the Department of Justice said Irish prisons are committed to treating “everyone with dignity and respect”. The Pope asked governments around the world – including Ireland – last week to give prisoners “a gesture of clemency” as communities prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. He…
Michael Kelly
Peter Costello
Ruadhán Jones
Aubrey Malone
Chai Brady