Irish healthcare services would be “much better” if there were more of the Catholic ethos today, an independent senator has said. Responding to the revelation that 95% of parents whose babies are diagnosed with Down’s syndrome at the Rotunda Hospital choose to have an abortion, Senator Rónán Mullen said that “something has happened in our…
Pope Francis warns that an addiction to the occult still plagues Africa, writes David Quinn Pope Francis was in Africa last week visiting two very troubled countries, namely the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, the newest nation on the continent. Congo has the biggest Catholic population in Africa, numbering 45 million in all.…
Fr Stuart Wilson-Smith A faith slump can happen to anyone. Prayer isn’t working or we don’t feel motivated. When we do make it to Mass, we struggle to focus or we don’t feel God any more near to us than when we went in. God seems distant, or we may wonder if God is even…
For many of us growing up, there wasn’t much more to Lent than a certain dourness and less chocolate. I remember in school the main focus was, ‘What are you going to be giving up?’ The answers were generally things that it would be a nuisance to do without, but things that weren’t too great…
The Laudate Festival was celebrated for the fifth time in Dublin archdiocese this week. A diocesan celebration of Catholic primary schools that brings children, schools communities, families and parishes together to praise God and take time for reflection, a choir of hundreds of children from 25 Catholic primary schools in the archdiocese led singing as…
Some churches should consider hiring security guards as parishioners must feel safe when worshipping, Chai Brady hears Parishes in inner city Dublin have expressed concern about the extent of open drug dealing and violent crime on the streets which has created a “menacing” atmosphere in communities. Challenging areas Priests in challenging areas across Dublin told…
Anglicans and Catholics in the US are continuing to discern “the Spirit at work” in each other, a number of ecumenical experts told OSV News. Over the past several years, the US Catholic Conference of Bishops and the Anglican Church in North America have moved from an initial “meet and greet … to really looking…
Even in the purest democracies, it’s a myth that elections are determined by the people. In reality, they’re determined by the people who actually vote – which, in the recent midterms in the US, was about 47% of those eligible to cast a ballot. Of course, the Catholic Church is not a democracy. Pope Francis,…
Crazy about Dymphna: The Story of a Girl who Drove a Medieval City Mad, by Sven Van Dorst and others (Antwerp: Hannibal Publishing / Phoebus Foundation, €63.25/£55.00) Exhibition in the National Gallery of Ireland, runs until May 28 Davnet and Dympna: a single cult, by Seosamh Ó Dufaigh (Clogher Historical Society, €30.00) In 2016,…
Some 14 schools in the North received the ‘Spirit of Catholic Education’ award, January 30, recognising their commitment to promoting the Catholic ethos. The awards, organised by Down and Connor, paid tribute to the schools for their “inspiring work”, a statement from the diocese said. “These schools are receiving the award in recognition of their…
David Quinn
Chai Brady
John L. Allen Jr.
Peter Costello
Ruadhán Jones