Fredrick Nzwili Two weeks after the military seized power in Gabon, a Catholic priest there said ordinary people feel more secure and hopeful, even as some analysts warn of a “contagious coup pandemic” in the former French colonies in West and Central Africa. On September 4, General Brice Oligui Nguema was sworn in as the…
A Christian legal group has filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on behalf of Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who is serving a prison sentence under the regime of President Daniel Ortega for criticising the dictatorship’s human rights violations. Bishop Álvarez, the bishop of Matagalpa, began serving a 26-year, four-month prison…
Irish Prison Service honoured by Pieta House for promoting mental-health The Irish Prison Service has become the first public or private employer to be awarded the prestigious Amber Flag by Pieta House for its work in promoting mental well-being. This recognition highlights the Service’s commitment to fostering mental well-being and creating a supportive environment for…
Donal McMahon It’s strange but in all my years of reading at Mass I had never read the psalm for Trinity Sunday (Year A) until this year, on June 4. In case the choir wasn’t there to sing it, I studied it at home. I saw immediately how different it was from the usual…
After meeting with a Chinese official in Beijing to discuss paths toward peace in Ukraine and ensuring grain exports from the country, Pope Francis’ special envoy is expected to return to Moscow, Russia’s foreign minister said. “The efforts of the Vatican, whose envoy is going to visit once again, are continuing,” Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign…
Jem Sullivan Is 55:6-9 Ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18 Phil 1:20c-24, 27a Mt 20:1-16a The paradox we encounter in Gospel parables is meant to open us up to a deeper understanding of who God is and who we are in relationship to God. To unpack the deeper meaning of the parable takes time, reflection and silence.…
Dear Editor, Your recent front page article [The Irish Catholic – September 7, 2023] highlighting Tánaiste Micheál Martin’s warning to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the harassment faced by the Christian minority in Jerusalem, has stirred my concern. As Christians, we are called to embrace love, compassion, and solidarity with our fellow believers, regardless…
The Church has a role to play in combating the rise in support for extreme parties in Europe, according to the Vatican’s ambassador to the EU, Irishman Archbishop Noel Treanor. Speaking at a conference in Berlin on Monday, he said the Church had a responsibility to counter extremism, populism and all forms of xenophobia. Archbishop…
The beatification of an unborn baby has raised interesting questions for theologians, writes Maria Wiering When the Ulma family was beatified September 10 as martyrs who gave their lives to protect Jews during the Holocaust, it may be the first time the Catholic Church has beatified an entire, specific family together, as well as the first beatification…
Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone was left star-struck by his meeting with Pope Francis September 8, after the Pope told Mr Stallone that he “grew up with” Mr Stallone’s Rocky and Rambo films. The film star travelled to the Vatican, September 8, with his wife, daughters and brother, Frank Stallone. Footage of their appearance was posted…