Catholics across the world have expressed their grief in the wake of the London Bridge terror attack which saw the death of seven people. US Catholics joined the Pope in expressing sorrow for those killed and severely injured in the latest terrorist attacks in London the night of June 3. “The vigil of Pentecost had…
Pope Francis’ prayer intention for June is for the elimination of the arms trade. His intentions were made in a video message released on the Vatican’s Youtube channel at the beginning of this month. “It is an absurd contradiction to speak of peace, to negotiate peace, and at the same time, promote or permit the…
Safeguard the world God created, Vatican asks Muslims The Vatican’s annual message to Muslims at the end of Ramadan called on both Christians and Muslims to protect God’s creation. “Our vocation to be guardians of God’s handiwork is not optional, nor is it tangential to our religious commitment as Christians and Muslims: it is an…
Addressing one of his favourite topics, Pope Francis spoke energetically over Pentecost weekend to huge crowds at the Circus Maximus and at St Peter’s Square of the creative power of the Holy Spirit to unify through diversity, while bringing peace, joy and courage. Following three hours of high-octane praise and testimonies in many languages under…
Dear Editor, Regarding the expected visit of Pope Francis next year, Finola Kenny in your issue of May 18 makes a very valid point. She recalls the deep disappointment felt by the locals of the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, Sean McDermott Street, where the papal motorcade passed by without the expected stop. No…
Grace Fitzgerald Grace Fitzgerald describes a school pilgrimage up Croagh Patrick Last month 60 fourth year students from Laurel Hill Secondary School in Limerick, ventured over to Mayo to undertake one of Ireland’s highest mountain, Croagh Patrick. Tensions were high when we first spotted our initial glimpse of our hike to come, especially when the…
Declan Marmion Martin Luther: Catholic Dissident by Peter Stanford (Hodder & Stoughton, £20.00) When Martin Luther allegedly pinned his 95 theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517 he had little idea of the theological and political tumult he was about to unleash in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.…
Shouldering the Lamb: Reflections on an Icon by Richard Clarke (Dominican Publications, €12.00) This is the second book of Dr Richard Clarke, the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh. It has already won praise from his episcopal neighbour, Archbishop Éamon Martin. Taking the almost universal image of Christ as a shepherd carrying a lamb to safety…
Christopher Moriarty Europe’s Atlantic Fringe: Exploring the west coasts of Portugal, Spain and Ireland by Michael Fewer (Ashfield Press, €25) Michael Fewer combines scholarship with readability in an impressive number of books about Ireland, Irish people and Irish architecture. In his latest work he widens the range by the addition of two countries, Portugal and…
The World of Books There are many people who see the Church of the Middle Ages as being an institution not only at the peak of its sanctity, but also as a model from which modern society can learn. I suspect that this view, especially in Ireland, owes much to the views of Chesterton and…