Pope Leo XIV has encouraged Christian Churches across Europe to continue walking together in faith and friendship, as they respond to a changing cultural landscape and the ongoing challenges of war, migration, and secularisation. The Pope was speaking in the Consistory Hall on November 6, where he met members of the Joint Committee of the…
As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another Luke 21:5 When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, Luke 21:6 “As for these things that you see, the days will…
For the hurling people of Wexford, one day shines brighter than any other. Nearly thirty years have passed, yet the memories of that afternoon remain vivid, a golden chapter in the county’s history, still told and retold wherever the purple and gold colours are cherished. In all of the GAA’s history, Wexford have lifted the…
Am I praying right? You often hear people talking about mindfulness and breathing exercises and the like, and opinion is divided about whether these practices are allowed for a Christian. Well, worry no more! Back in ‘89, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, while still working at the CDF under John Paul II, put out a document on…
Are we sometimes too stingy about who we allow into God’s family? Says Fr Ron Rolheiser John Muir once asked: “Why are Christians so reluctant to let animals into their stingy heaven?” Indeed, why? Especially since St Paul tells us in the Epistle to the Romans that all creation (mineral, plant, animal) is groaning to…
Every generation has its naysayers and prophets of doom. I knew a man once, now gone to his eternal reward, who was convinced that the world would end in 1984 – 100 years from the date that Pope Leo XIII composed the St Michael prayer, in 1884, allegedly with a prophecy that Satan would be…
The Last Ditch: How one GAA Championship gave a Sports Writer back his Life, by Eamonn Sweeney (Hachette Books, €20.00 / £16.99) The author is a sportswriter and in the first two chapters reveals the challenges – phobias – which he has to overcome in plying his trade. In the rest of the book…
By Way of the Heart: Pierre Favre SJ, the First Jesuit Companion, by Brendan Comerford SJ (Messenger Publications, €12.95 / £10.95) In any great enterprise the initiating leader needs associates to make the new initiative a success. Among the Jesuits the names of Ignatius Loyola himself and Francis Xavier are well known. Less well…
It’s great when I can highlight positive items in the media – I hope I do it often enough. The long-running Nationwide (RTÉ One) is a great source of positivity, and religious themes are regularly featured, with a strong emphasis on community. Last Monday’s episode marked the 200th anniversary of the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin and…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Fr John McCarthy
Peter Costello
Brendan O’Regan