It was with good reason that Padre Pio’s Mass drew huge crowds, according to Fr Francesco Napolitano Padre Pio’s life on earth was in perpetual union with God; all of his letters give valid evidence of this. In a letter written to his spiritual director, Fr Benedetto of San Marco in Lamis, on September…
The president of the Philippines has announced his country’s immediate withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) following “outrageous attacks” by the court and UN officials. President Rodrigo Duterte, who is under scrutiny by the international court over his deadly war on drugs, claimed that there is a “concerted effort” to undermine his administration. He accused UN special…
Dear Editor, I was surprised to read in your paper how the censured Fr Tony Flannery has criticised Archbishop Diarmuid Martin for doing “little or nothing” to bring about change in the Church (IC 15/3/2018). Granted, there aren’t many who would describe the Archdiocese of Dublin as an especially dynamic place, but even allowing for…
Over 100,000 people in employment are at risk of poverty according to new research by Social Justice Ireland, which concluded that one in every six people in Ireland today live on incomes below the poverty line, making up 16.5% of the population. Dr Seán Healy, CEO of Social Justice Ireland, said, “If people in employment…
Longford Gardaí have launched an investigation and appeal for information after a church was broken into and vandalised, becoming the third targeted Longford Church in the past 12 months. St Anne’s Church, situated between Stonepark and Kenagh was broken into and damaged sometime between 5.30pm on Wednesday night and 7.50am on Thursday morning last week.…
The Notebook Fr Silvester O’Flynn Blessed Paul VI called Padre Pio a living crucifix in the 20th-Century. Perhaps God saw that something more vivid than a crucifix of wood, stone or metal was needed to engage the people of our time. And so, a young Capuchin priest in Italy was chosen by God…
First and foremost, Padre Pio was a simple friar, writes Fr Bryan Shortall Padre Pio was asked once who are you? He replied: “I’m just a poor friar who prays.” I’ve no doubt that he would prefer to be remembered for this rather than all his supernatural gifts. Many years ago, one of our…
Episode 6 is a conversation between John Quinn and Peter Rigney & Dominic Perrem of Alpha Ireland, all about how Alpha can help create a parish of invitation. This podcast looks at how a culture of invitation is necessary for parish renewal, the importance of food in creating community, and why the Good News is…
Polish Catholic leaders have condemned a new wave of anti-Semitism in the country amid tension over a government-backed law on responsibility for the Holocaust. Archbishop Wojciech Polak of Gniezno, Poland’s Catholic primate, called anti-Semitism “a moral evil and a sin”, saying attempts to divide people or pit them against each other “in a nationalistic context…
Former Taoiseach John Bruton has said that he won’t be voting in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment and that Ireland should be “proud” of being one of very few countries which have this constitutional provision. Speaking in Kilkenny on Sunday after the episcopal ordination of Dr Dermot Farrell as Bishop of Ossory, the former…