The Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) has called on the new Government to put in place a process for remembrance and reflection in post-Covid-19 Ireland. The foundation submitted a paper outlining a series of proposals for Ireland to remember and reflect on the pandemic. This includes a national series of mourning and remembrance events for all…
Former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, a Catholic who led several regional peace mediation efforts, has died. He was 81. Tanzanian President John Magufuli said Mkapa had been undergoing treatment at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, where he died on July 24. Magufuli urged the people to remain calm, united and peaceful as they mourned…
Pope Francis has exhorted young people to reach out in tenderness to the elderly amid the loneliness of the coronavirus pandemic. “In the memory of Ss Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus, I would like to invite young people to make a gesture of tenderness towards the elderly, especially the most lonely ones in…
European bishops have welcomed what they described as the solidarity shown by EU governments in agreeing the Covid-19 stimulus package. However, they warned that the process will be a failure unless it is focused on the weaker members of the bloc. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European…
The Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW) has claimed that the recently-launched strategy on mental health lacks real substance. “While a refreshed mental health policy is to be welcomed, the fact that the oversight group who developed the policy did not include any core health and social care professional members of mental health multidisciplinary teams…
Sr Ruth Lewis, also known as the Mother Teresa of Pakistan, died on 20 July, a victim of the coronavirus. She contracted the virus after making the decision to personally care for 21 infected residents of the Dar ul Sukhun home (House of Peace), which she co-founded in 1969. Known across Pakistan as the ‘Mother…
The Irish Spirit – Issue No. 9 Exclusive Excerpt from Sending Positive Vibes by Fr Bryan Shortall We have to make our minds up to be joyful. It comes down to a choice; do we stand out in the sunshine or do we prefer to stay indoors with the curtains closed? It is easier said than…
Personal Profile Jason Osborne Most people know Alpha as a series of sessions exploring the Christian Faith, open to those of all faiths and none. With each talk designed to explore a different question concerning faith and with the intention of creating conversation, it caters perfectly to the truth-seeking mind. However, it does so much…
Letter from Rome Junno Arocho Esteves In the Catholic Church, a person’s canonisation is almost always preceded by decades of meticulous investigation into the minute details of the candidate’s life. Thousands of saints have been raised to the altars after these thorough investigations, while the causes of many other candidates are usually suspended or closed…
Lost in Thought. The Hidden Pleasures of Intellectual Life by Zena Hitz (Princeton University Press, £18.99) Frank Litton The world is too much with us. The most distinctive feature of Irish culture is its contempt for all things intellectual. Consider the questions that occupy us in the daily round. Because we are social animals, we seek…