A prominent Pakistani Christian political leader has written a letter to Punjab authorities seeking permission to construct a church and baptism pool for minority inmates in Lahore central prison. In his letter, Massiha Millat Party chairman Aslam Pervaiz Sahotra asked the minority affairs minister to give his attention to the number of non-Muslim prisoners at…
Eoin Wrenn My recent visit to Ethiopia reinforced just how vulnerable some countries in Africa are to climate change but also gave me hope that communities can, and indeed are, adapting to the challenges posed by this crisis. I was privileged to spend a few days close to the border of Eritrea where Trócaire has…
Fr Billy Swan This week marks the seventh anniversary of the election of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio as Pope Francis on March 13, 2013. Though a work of fiction, the recent success of the film The Two Popes has revived public interest in the context of Francis’ election, his cultural background in South America and the…
No decision yet on postponing Confirmations Chai Brady, Róise McGagh and Aron Hegarty Irish bishops say they are poised to take radical steps to stem coronavirus infection, including, if necessary, postponing Confirmation ceremonies and other gatherings, The Irish Catholic has learned. Dioceses around Ireland have already taken on board guidelines issued by health…
All politicians should be pro-family and look after the example set by Hungary’s family policies, according to Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan. The bishop of Waterford and Lismore said: “We see the promotion of the rights of the individual over family (in Ireland). In Hungary, in contrast, you are promoting the priority and importance of families.” The…
Renewal is a continuous journey requiring humility, patience and prayer to discern God’s will, Pope Francis told members of Regnum Christi and the Legionaries of Christ. The communities’ “journey of renewal is not over because a change in mentality in individuals and in an institution requires a lot of time for assimilation and, therefore, continuous…
The wonders of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel will come alive in a unique event in Dublin next week with renowned art historian Liz Lev. Newman’s University Church on St Stephen’s Green will play host to the event on Monday, March 9 which will see guests walked through the art masterpiece that is the jewel of…
Christopher White Speaking to young people on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro at the 2013 World Youth Day, Pope Francis encouraged those present to go home and shake things up. Perhaps one result of that was in the US where an experiment took place last month in an attempt to bridge the divide between…
Thomas J. Morrissey Navigating the Zeitgeist: A Story of the Cold War, the New Left, Irish Republicanism, and International Communism by Helena Sheehan (Monthly Review Press, $US20.00/£18.99) Dr Helena Sheehan is a well-known left-wing intellectual. Her book, Marxism and the Philosophy of Science: Critical History, published in 1985, became a classic work on its subject. She…
The Kylemore Trust switched on the lights of Kylemore Abbey to celebrate 100 years of the Benedictine Order of nuns in Co Galway this week. The illumination of the Abby is part of a year-long programme of events to mark the residency of the nuns in Connemara since 1920. “Over this year we will remember…