Darkness Between Stars by John F. Deane and James Harpur (Irish Pages Press, Belfast, €24.99/£22.00) Thomas Macarthy This book is an entirely unexpected project. Two poets of seniority and assured reputation have come together to publish the poetic faith essence of their many-volumed careers. Deane is a Catholic poet who once studied for the priesthood and…
Notebook Fr John Harris Greetings from Assisi. I am here with a group of priests from different parts of the world on a spiritual retreat. Assisi is a place like very few in the world. The spirit of the person of St Francis permeates the medieval streets and it allows a person while walking in…
Dear Editor, I agree with Mary Kenny’s views that opting for simple guidelines for fasting and abstinence for Lent are the best way to respond to the challenges of Lent. In my youth, fasting and abstinence and making our Easter duty seemed to be essential for doing a good Lent. However, some clergy have since…
Staff Reporter Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has described as “incredibly tragic” figures which reveal that 382 people experiencing homelessness have died in the last five years. “Behind each one of these statistics is a human being, and perhaps a family. “There can be no doubt now that the issue of homelessness is not just a humanitarian…
Evangelisation is nothing more or less than sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others, writes Lorene Hanley Duquin A friend, who has been away from the Church for years, starts to reminisce about growing up Catholic. A co-worker tells you that she was baptised Catholic but never received any other sacraments. A neighbour begins…
A court has acquitted a Catholic priest and a pregnancy counsellor of crimes in connection with the “harassment of abortion clinic clients”. District Judge David Wain February 16 dismissed charges against Fr Sean Gough and Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, in a matter of seconds, in a hearing at Birmingham Magistrates Court. Ms Vaughan-Spruce, co-director of March for…
An independent commission’s report on the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church in Portugal “points to the urgent need to combat whatever fosters silence from those who have been impacted by abuse,” said Cardinal Seán O’Malley of Boston. Silence “impedes effective prevention and the administration of justice,” said the cardinal, who is president…
Staff Reporter An ancient codex containing what is believed to be the earliest, most complete copy of the Hebrew Bible ever discovered is expected to go for $50 million at auction this May. ‘Codex Sassoon’, which dates back to around the 9th or 10th Century, is due to come up for auction at Sotheby’s in…
Two Nicaraguan priests, part of the group of more than 200 political prisoners released February 9 by the regime of Daniel Ortega, celebrated Mass with their compatriots in exile at Sts Agatha Church in Sweetwater, Florida. After the Mass, Fr Benito Enrique Martínez, from the Diocese of León, and Fr José Luis Díaz, from the…
In the case known as “Coup I,” Bolivia’s attorney general’s office has requested that 10 bishops testify regarding their role in the alleged 2019 coup d’état that led to the resignation of President Evo Morales. Archbishop Percy Galván of La Paz, the nation’s capital, charged that the move is an attempt to “intimidate us,” and…