To criticise the synodal process that recently culminated in a national gathering of delegates after a five-year period of consultation and reporting is by no means to criticise the concept of synodality itself. In fact, it can be an expression of that very synodality understood as all the People of God journeying together in conversation…
Catholic schools have a vital role in handing on the faith. Are we doing enough to ensure that the teachers entrusted with this task are resourceful enough? It is widely acknowledged that while many of our churches are quieter than they once were, our Catholic schools are still full of children. For many of the…
In the summer of 2022, Sinn Féin appeared unstoppable. Opinion polls put the party on 37%, and the question seemed to be not whether it would enter government, but when. Four years later, that confidence has evaporated. A recent poll putting Sinn Féin on 22%, while an improvement on some earlier figures, tells its own…
In October 2023, the Ulster Council pledged its desire to host the 2027 Ulster final at a newly redeveloped, state-of-the-art Casement Park. After more than a decade lying idle, the famous home of Antrim GAA appeared finally set to reopen and once again become a centrepiece of Gaelic games in west Belfast. Three years later,…
Are international clergy delaying needed reform As Mission Awareness Month draws to a close, our thoughts have once again been directed towards the missionary life of the Church and to those who leave home and country to serve elsewhere. For generations, that story in Ireland was largely about Irish priests, religious and lay missionaries travelling…
I, who come from the city that Cardinal Bernardin called home, feel honoured to be here at Fiera di Primiero, where the Cardinal equally felt at home, thanks to your welcome and your esteem. Tonight, I would like to reflect briefly with you on how Joseph Bernardin took the best of what he learned from…
When I was in high school we read a short German story entitled Immensee. It’s the story of a love that never happened, but that should have, except that the tragic hero of our story was never able to express his love to the woman he loved. So, he ended up alone with an aching…
While political and civil unrest France has punctuated life in France for quite a while, this unrest has increased in recent years. 2016 saw protests against labour-law reforms, which were marked by clashes between more radical demonstrators and police. Such clashes ushered in a new era with regard to street demonstrations. The Yellow Vest movement…
The Council of Heads of Churches in Jordan welcomed the Cabinet’s approval of a 2026 bill amending the Christian Denominations Councils Law and its referral to Parliament to complete the constitutional process. The proposed changes are expected to allow Christians to address a range of personal status matters under their churches’ laws, including marriage, divorce,…
The number of Catholic priests worldwide has risen again after five years of no growth, according to statistics published by the Vatican agency Fides ahead of the 100th World Mission Sunday, which was celebrated on Sunday, October 18. According to the Fides report, the total number of priests rose from 406,996 to 407,421, representing an…
Eilis Mulroy
Fr Ronald Rolheiser