In the annual Newman Lecture, Prof. William Cavanaugh teased out the religious element at the heart of the West, December 7. Speaking in Newman University Church, St Stephen’s Green, Prof. Cavanagh’s talk focused on ‘the Enchantment of the Secular’. The American professor showed that “religious” and “secular” people have more in common than is commonly…
Six months after the Pentecost Sunday attack on Sts Francis Xavier Owo Catholic Parish in Ondo Diocese, which left 39 Catholic worshipers killed and more than 80 injured, there have been arrests and promises but no prosecution, Bishop Felix Femi Ajakaye has lamented. “December 5, 2022, is the sixth month of the evil attack, the…
I did my doctoral thesis on the classical, philosophical proofs for the existence of God. The concept had always intrigued me: ‘Can you prove that God exists?’ After researching the thought of Aquinas, Anselm, Descartes, Leibnitz, and Spinoza (all of whom assert that you can ‘prove’ the existence of God through rational argument) what was the…
Pope Francis reflects on the origins and wonder of the nativity scene The enchanting image of the Christmas crèche, so dear to the Christian people, never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder. The depiction of Jesus’ birth is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God.…
by Cindy Wooden While 2022 finally saw the publication of Pope Francis’ constitution reforming the Roman Curia, the biggest news and the biggest changes in his ministry came from Russia’s war on Ukraine and from the Pope’s own problems walking. Knee problems forced the Pope, who celebrated his 86th birthday on December 17, to postpone…
The Sunday Gospel Have we forgotten why we celebrate Christmas? A friend told me she got a card wishing her a very merry winter festival? Could you beat that! People tell me they have to search in shops for cards that portray the Nativity but there is no shortage of snowy fir trees, red robins,…
Church must take workers’ problems seriously, Pope says All workers should feel welcomed by the Church and know that their needs and problems are taken seriously, Pope Francis said. In fact, labour and employment are experiencing “a phase of transformation that needs to be accompanied,” he told members of Italy’s Movement of Christian Workers during…
Dear Editor, Westminster has continuously proven to disregard the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland by pushing ahead with plans to bring in abortion ‘services’. Fuel prices soar and people are cold in their houses, yet for some reason the biggest priority for them is abortion. Once again, due to the inability of the…
Family Solidarity criticises ‘disappointing’ synodal pathway The Irish national synodal synthesis “does not represent us and it does not represent what we have heard at the meetings in our parishes”, Irish family advocacy group Family Solidarity has written in an open letter to Ireland’s bishops. “After a year, we must admit that both the process…
TV & Radio Review 2022 I can still remember my unprintable language when I woke up on the morning of February 24 to hear that the long-dreaded Russian invasion of Ukraine had started. At the end of Newstalk Breakfast that day Cormac Smith, former advisor to the Ukrainian government, said “the fog of war has…
Ruadhán Jones
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Brendan O’Regan