Pope Francis has met and shook hands with the woman whom he lost his patience with and slapped in St. Peter’s Square on December 31. The Holy Father spoke briefly to the woman after a general audience in January during the “baciamano”; the time reserved for pilgrims to greet the Pope. In the photos, both…
The Enchantment of Mammon: How Capitalism became the Religion of Modernity by Eugene McCarraher (The Belknap Press / Harvard University Press, $US39.95/£31.95) Frank Litton This is a vitally important book, likely to attract considerable attention among critics and readers. I reckon it could have an impact similar to Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue back in 1997. Certainly…
Make Rome a city of fraternity and peace – Pope Pope Francis has urged residents of Rome to make the Eternal City a place of solidarity, peace and a “home for all”. The Pope made his plea at the opening ceremony for the 150th anniversary of the declaration of ‘Rome Capitale’, which was read out by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. The…
Bring your imagination If you happen to be in the south of the country near Cork city there is a great opportunity available to get creative at The Glucksman contemporary art museum in University College Cork. They are running a free art workshop on Sunday afternoons between 3 and 4pm every week up until Sunday…
Two prominent US Catholics pass away A Catholic Sister who set a national standard for women’s education and a famous writer of courageous fictional Catholic protagonists have died in the US this past week. Sr Margaret Claydon (97) of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur passed away in Cincinnati, while Mary Higgins Clark –…
Dear Editor, It was wonderful to see over 100 people attending a Catholic retreat in University College Dublin, reported on in your paper (IC 23/01/2020). I believe universities in Ireland are a difficult place for students to openly speak about and practice their Faith, a view that is most certainly shared by many. Looking at…
One of the four seminarians kidnapped from their seminary in Nigeria last month has reportedly been killed by his abductors. Michael Nnadi (18), the youngest member of the group, was separated from the others and murdered, with his body being formally identified at the weekend. “With a very heavy heart, I wish to inform you…
A new independent database listing nearly 6,000 priests accused of abuse was launched this week, marking what some observers say is a sign of a new era of transparency in the Church and others labelling it the “privatisation of justice” after years of Church leaders blocking such efforts. The database, which was activated last week,…
The religious way of life could disappear in the Diocese of Ossory within a generation if “radical action” is taken according to the Bishop Dermot Farrell. In a homily for the World Day of Consecrated life on Sunday, Bishop Farrell told the congregation in St Mary’s Cathedral in Kilkenny that “bold decisions must be taken…
A clergyman has stressed that Christians must take an active role in the country’s future if they want a unified, multi-religious Iraq. Archbishop Bashar Warda of the Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Erbil made the plea during a discussion of the country’s future with a US congressman. This follows months of protests against Iraqi government corruption and…