“I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse ; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19) This verse is taken from the last chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament. Capturing the essence of how the future of the nation of Israel depended on the response of the Jewish people to the Covenant, it underlines the connections between life and blessing. To the nation…
A leading pro-life campaign has welcomed figures indicating a further drop in support for removing the Eighth Amendment from the Constitution in a referendum this month. An opinion poll, published on May 6 by the Sunday Independent/Kantar Millward, revealed that 45% of respondents say they intend voting ‘Yes’, and 34% say they will vote ‘No’.…
In front of a small crowd of cabinet members and religious leaders at the White House Rose Garden, President Donald Trump announced, and then signed, an executive order giving Faith-based groups a stronger voice in the federal government. “It’s a great day,” he said after signing the order and passing out pens to religious leaders…
Impeachment: a citizen’s guide by Cass R. Sunstein (Harvard University Press, €7) Felix M. Larkin With speculation rife about the possibility of impeaching President Trump, this little book is indeed timely. In it, Prof. Sunstein outlines what he calls “the majesty and the mystery of impeachment in the US Constitution” – and he dispels much misunderstanding of…
WMOF2018 Brenda Drumm Gaudete et Exsultate, which translates as ‘Rejoice and Be Glad’, Pope Francis’s new Apostolic Exhortation on the call to holiness in today’s world, is a wonderfully rich resource for families. Here are 10 points in it that have struck me as especially important for families: In Rejoice and Be Glad,…
WMOF2018 Teresa Regan After a week of inclement weather, with further rain forecast it was certainly both promising and uplifting to see the morning mist rise over Tipperary Racecourse as preparations began for the Family Fun Day, organised by the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. In accord with the theme ‘We are family –…
Nurses and midwives representing over 130 members of their professions have said that the Irish Health Service cannot cope with abortion and have urged the public to vote ‘No’ in the upcoming referendum. Speaking at a Press Conference in Dublin on May 4, healthcare representatives asked the electorate not to “turn our hospitals into killing…
Dear Editor, I read new figures which suggest a small decrease in national homelessness (IC 03/05/18). The statistics from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government showed that 9,681 people accessed State-funded emergency homelessness accommodation in March, down slightly to 9,807 in February. It’s wonderful that this number has decreased, but it is still…
Hook, line and sinker in West Cork For fish and festival lovers alike, the historic village of Baltimore in West Cork will be playing host to the Baltimore Seafood festivals, in a celebration of marine life and fishing. The large natural harbour formed by the archipelago of islands known as Carbery’s Hundred Isles makes it…
Award-winning scientist joins Vatican academy Pope Francis has named a pioneering US scientist specialising in stem-cell research to the Pontifical Academy for Sciences. Elaine Fuchs, professor and head of the laboratory of mammalian cell biology and development at The Rockefeller University in New York, was appointed to the papal think tank, according to a Vatican press release. The scientist…