Pope Francis, in a video message recorded on their bishop’s phone, encouraged Catholics in Hong Kong and in mainland China to be strong in the face of challenges, to be good citizens and to pray for him as he prays for them. Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan of Hong Kong, a Jesuit who was ordained a…
Dear Editor, In The Irish Catholic edition of March 17, I agree with Sean Ryan’s letter stating that prayers are needed for Vladimir Putin and Russia. We only have to recall the message given to the three children of Fatima by Our Blessed Lady in 1917 and showing them the consequence of serious sin in…
Marta Osborne Love Notes My wife and I sometimes have trouble managing our divergent personalities – she’s very quiet and reserved while I’m extremely active and extroverted. How do we make it work? The saying goes that “opposites attract”, and this is often the case. The attraction is the easy part, however – making it…
Ireland must step up to meet escalating needs in Ukraine Irish charities have called on the Government to “step up” and meet the escalating humanitarian needs in Ukraine as millions are displaced by the war. Dóchas, the Irish Association of Non-Governmental Development Organisations, said “the humanitarian crisis within Ukraine is becoming more critical by the…
Bishop-elect of Rumbek receives heroic reception Father Christian Carlassare, the bishop-elect of Rumbek, returned to his see March 23 to jubilation, as he emphasised his intention to build unity in the diocese. The priest was shot in the legs shortly after his March 2021 nomination as Bishop of Rumbek. He was cared for at a…
Chai Brady and Ruadhán Jones Catholic schools across the country are already seeing “significant numbers” of children fleeing the Russian onslaught of Ukraine and have pledged to do whatever it takes to make places for them. Parish school leaders north and south say that the situation is moving very quickly with more than 200,000 refugees…
Shannon Campbell The View It is not uncommon to hear people say, “I’m spiritual, not religious.” The reasons for the trend are many and varied, ranging from disillusionment with organised religion, to boredom – even laziness. According to one pre-coronavirus study, 69% of Irish people identify as Catholic, but only 34% go to church regularly.…
Musk challenges Putin to ‘single combat’ for Ukraine Billionaire Elon Musk tweeted out a challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, the challenge being ‘single combat’ and the stakes being Ukraine. Writing Mr Putin’s name in Russian and Ukraine in Ukrainian, the SpaceX and Tesla CEO said “I hearby challenge (Vladimir Putin) to single…
Frank Litton Catholic Discordance: Neoconservatism vs the Field Hospital Church of Pope Francis by Massimo Borghesi (Liturgical Press Academic, US$29.95/£23.99) Two women shout across the street in angry argument from their tenement rooms. The doctor, poet and wit, Oliver St John Gogarty turns to his companion: “those women will never agree.” “How do you know?.”…
Barb Farze Russian President Vladimir Putin did not invade Ukraine out of concern that NATO would encroach on his borders, but concern about “the disease of democracy that could spread like a virus, and that’s deadly for oligarchies and authoritarian rulers,” said the archbishop who serves as a “foreign minister” for the Ukrainian Catholic Church.…