Young Catholics must set the world on fire with their Faith, Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher told about 20,000 young people gathered in a former Olympic Stadium. “You must be spiritual flamethrowers. You must have the awesomeness of an Australian bush fire, without the destruction,” he said at the opening of the Australian Catholic Youth Festival.…
Fr Andrew McMahon Archbishop Diarmuid Martin’s latest public critique of Irish Catholics came in the course of a feature in The New York Times in early December, complied by correspondent Liam Stack. Like the majority of portrayals of Irish life undertaken by English-speaking journalists, the New York account revolves around a familiar range of clichés…
Rhona Guidos Supporters of young people who came to the US without documents as children descended on Washington early this month, risking arrest and seeking attention from lawmakers during what they believe is the last window of opportunity this year to pass legislation to help them stay in the country. Supporters came from California, New…
A US Senator stopped short of specific legislative proposals during a Christian conference, but spoke openly of religious faith as he offered support for beleaguered Christian communities under threat from ISIS in the Middle East. Senator Marco Rubio said: “I’m a deep believer that our foreign policy should be infused with our most deeply held…
Dear Editor, There seems to be a kerfuffle as to whether or not to revise the translation of the Mass in English. When I learnt Latin, I was told that Latin was a dead language because it never changes. Vernacular tongues are living and change, so when we use living languages in liturgy, we accept that they…
Polish Christmas tree in Vatican A Nativity scene and Christmas tree, like those displayed in St Peter’s Square, are visible reminders of God’s benevolence and closeness to all men and women, Pope Francis said. “Every year, the Christmas Nativity scene and tree speak to us through their symbolic language. They make more visible what is captured in the experience…
Seventy-eight prisoners were baptised, confirmed, and received their First Holy Communion in an Argentine prison. The inmates are entering the Catholic Church after working with the Diocese of San Isidro’s prison ministry, which operates in the greater Buenos Aires metropolitan area. The ministry has been active since 2007 in both male-only and mixed gender units…
Fr Vincent Sherlock Jack was a decent man! The sort you’d enjoy visiting. He lived alone – well not totally for he had an amazing connection with horses. A man once told me that he could leave the wildest of horses in the field beside Jack’s house and within days, the animal would be tamed…
Following days of violence and backlash after US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the Vatican appealed for “wisdom and prudence” to prevail. The announcement sparked anti-US protests throughout Asia and the Middle East, including a four-day protest in the Palestinian territories, Reuters reported. An Israeli security guard in…
Pat O’Kelly Since 2012 the National Concert Hall has presented an annual Lifetime Achievement Award to Irish musicians of international renown. Not confined to what can be loosely termed ‘classical artists’, the award spreads its wings across a broader spectrum of musical genres. James Galway, Veronica Dunne, Paul Brady and the Vanbrugh Quartet followed the…