Fr Paddy Byrne One of the fundamental tasks given to every Christian is to spread the Good News. In our Catholic tradition, this task has been extremely well-served for centuries. Communication is key to the life and mission of our Church. I know too ‘actions speak louder than words’ –actions of kindness, compassion, inclusion…
Fr Éamonn Fitzgibbon It is just 12 months since the Government launched ‘Realising our Rural Potential: The Action Plan for Rural Development’. This Plan generated hope and optimism in many rural communities as it outlined 270 actions to support rural Ireland. However, much of this positivity has been dented by the recently launched National Planning Framework…
Eight months after ordering priests in a Nigerian diocese to pledge their obedience to the Pope and accept the bishop that now-retired Pope Benedict XVI had named for them, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the disputed bishop. Bishop Peter Ebere Okpaleke, who since 2012 has been prevented from exercising his ministry as bishop of…
An order of nuns has withdrawn from an especially violent city in Mexico after the parents and sister of one of the women religious was kidnapped and killed. The Diocese of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, where two priests were murdered this month, said in a statement that the nuns from the Comunidad Guadalupano (Guadalupe Community) had withdrawn because…
The European Union has become too focused on narrow economic goals, writes Ben Ryan I’ve finally found common ground with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. I can finally come out in public as someone who also likes to think of the EU as a “teleological construction”. Of course, Johnson is learning, as I’ve long experienced,…
The resignation of the president of South Africa is long overdue, the country’s bishops said, noting that his scandal-plagued presidency fostered corruption. While Jacob Zuma was in power, the bishops said, there was dereliction of duty at all levels of government. “The fact that Mr Zuma has been allowed to hold on to the highest…
Pope Francis has said he tries to dialogue with those who disagree with him in the hope that he will learn something; but he just prays for those who call him a heretic. “When I perceive resistance, I seek dialogue whenever it is possible; but some resistance comes from people who believe they possess the…
Irish Women and the Vote: Becoming Citizens editors: Louise Ryan and Margaret Ward (Irish Academic Press, €19.99) Emily Keyes February 2018 marks the centenary of women over the age of 30 gaining the right to vote in Ireland and Britain, yet over 100 years and two feminist movements later, Irish women continue to struggle for equal…
As it loses its grip in the Middle East, the Islamic State is finding a foothold in Somalia, said a bishop who oversees the Catholic Church in the troubled country. The insurgent group – linked to mass killings, abductions and beheadings in Iraq and Syria, where it is facing defeat – see Somalia as a…
Pat O’Kelly With conductor Fergus Sheil active as both artistic director of Wide Open Opera and Opera Theatre Company, it seemed a natural progression both companies would merge. And so they did. Formed last year, with generous beneficence from the Arts Council, the new company was launched under the banner of Irish National Opera.…