Letter from America Christopher White One of the more intriguing events that takes place during the US presidential election cycle every four years is the annual Al Smith Memorial Foundation dinner, which has traditionally brought together the leading two contenders with the Archbishop of New York sandwiched in between them, responsible for keeping the…
Confronted with eye-watering technological developments Catholics have an important role to play, writes David Mullins On May 3, 1983, some 247 Catholic bishops of the United States gathered in Chicago to issue their pastoral letter on war and peace and the use of nuclear technology. The immediate context was the ongoing nuclear arms race…
A Christian group has hailed the significance of the findings of a United Nations’ special rapporteur’s report on violations of freedom of religion in Sri Lanka. The report, which was recently presented to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), details how Christians and other religious minorities have suffered from extreme violations of freedom of religion…
A recent report showed that trust in the effectiveness of Irish overseas aid has dropped by 4% since 2017, but Matt Moran ex-chairman of Misean Cara feels that the missionary structure could improve this. The 2019 survey by Kantar Survey of Public Attitudes towards Overseas Aid is now in its third year. It is jointly-funded…
Two Christian groups in California have been ordered to shut down their cost-sharing health plans and cease conducting business by the State’s Department of Insurance. The State issued the Cease and Desist order against Aliera Healthcare, Inc. and Trinity Healthshares, Inc., on the grounds that the two faith-based cost-sharing health ministries are misleading consumers by…
After Jean Vanier, how can L’Arche go forward creating places of belonging for those whom society rejects, asks Dr Liam Waldron In a YouTube video recorded in 2018 to celebrate his 90th birthday, Jean Vanier, the founder of and inspiration for the international network of over 150 intentional communities, known as L’Arche, spoke about…
The consequences of population decline will be seismic unless we act quickly, writes Ray Kinsella Once upon a time, when Ireland was less self-obsessed, issues like the financial burden of getting married and starting a family were the lifeblood of elections. No longer. Our skewed fiscal system discriminates against marriage and starting a family.…
Thousands of Venezuelans including clergy took to the streets in Caracas and other cities to demand democratic change last week, amid on-going economic, political and social crises in the country. “Today [March 10] the Venezuelan people have returned to the streets demanding their rights and manifesting their desire for a change of direction in the…
Cardinal George Pell has had his “leave to appeal” ruling deferred by the Australian High Court last week in what is a final attempt to have his conviction for sexual assault overturned. Pell was sentenced last year to six years in prison for molesting two 13-year-old choirboys in Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral, while he was…
Sixteen fragments in the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC are not from the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls but elaborate fakes, it has emerged. Despite the fact that they were purchased for millions of dollars, they have now been exposed as worthless forgeries probably made from old shoe leather. However, the hoaxers did such…