Battering the beleaguered bishops is neither going to spur them into effective action nor is it going to hasten reconciliation, writes Dom Mark Patrick Hederman In 2008 I was elected Abbot of Glenstal Abbey. This vote could not be ratified in Rome, however, unless I, who had been a brother monk for almost 50…
Although Bangladesh has welcomed a massive influx of Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar, a Catholic aid official is worried that the welcome may be wearing thin. James Gomes, regional director of Caritas, the Church’s charitable agency, said Bangladesh responded quickly to the surprise arrival of more than 600,000 Rohingya. “As a Bangladeshi, I’m proud of…
Time is running out for young people to have their say ahead of next year’s Synod of Bishops in Rome. The October 2018 Synod of Bishops, following on recent synods on the family and on the New Evangelisation, is on the theme of ‘Youth, Faith and Vocational Discernment’, and in connection with this youth.synod2018.va is…
The incoming president of the Philippines Catholic bishops’ conference has caused a stir after saying fighting the proliferation of drugs should take precedence over narcotic related killings. The senior prelate’s statement last week was a change in Church dialogue relating to the issue, which has condemned President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. At a Mass…
If the political will existed, there could have been a reasonable discussion about the Eighth Amendment, writes Cora Sherlock It didn’t have to be like this. But, unfortunately, the Oireachtas committee on abortion decided otherwise from the get-go. As each week passes, this becomes clearer as one abortion advocate after another presents to the…
Over 150 locations to congregate have been identified for an event aimed at promoting the Faith and the protection of the unborn. ‘Rosary on the Coast for Life and Faith’, organised by lay people, will see Faithful from across Ireland gather to recite the rosary on the coast. It was inspired by similar gatherings in…
Fay Morrison enjoying some delicious Italian-style ice cream at Gino’s Gelato, Grafton Street, Dublin to celebrate a successful fundraising campaign for Temple Street Children’s Hospital. The campaign which launched in June, raised €10, 057.44 for the hospital over three months with a donation made from the sale of every large gelato sold between June and…
Laudato Si’: An Irish response, essays on the Pope’s Letter on the Environment edited by Sean McDonagh (Veritas, €14.99) Eamon Ryan The papal encyclical Laudato Si’ has been described as ‘a most dangerous book’. It attempts a giant leap forward in the church’s social teaching by calling for a profound ecological conversion, which brings…
Plans to convene a national dialogue forum in the face of a political crisis were announced by Kenya’s bishops, as they say the country’s ordinary people are on the brink of despair. The forum will assemble all sectors to set an agenda for honest discussions and resolutions for the country. Urgent matters to be addressed…
In Brief Defense of the unborn, racial division and immigration were the prominent topics of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops this week. The Church in the US has at times been a part of the problem of racism despite fighting it for many years, according to one bishop. Bishop George Murry, head of the…