We all need to learn how to forgive and how to be reconciled in this imperfect world, writes Dr Joseph White Forgiveness is a thread that runs throughout the story of our faith. In the Garden of Eden, we see the frailty of human relationships, both with God and one another. Throughout our history, we…
Letter from Rome Justin McLellan The flag of Vatican City, yellow and white with crossed keys under the papal tiara, is incorrect in many emojis, flying outside the United Nations and often even on Vatican buildings. Through confusion possibly caused by an erroneous Wikipedia entry, the Vatican flags waving outside its buildings and sold in…
Fulgence Kayishema, a former Rwandan police officer who is suspected of having ordered the killing of at least 2,000 Tutsis who were seeking refuge at St Paul’s Nyange Catholic Parish in the current Nyundo Diocese during the 1994 genocide, has been arrested in South Africa. Reuters reported May 25 that Kayishema, one of the top suspects…
The new leader of a charity targeting Christian persecution around the world is from the North of Ireland and will serve for five years. The international pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) will be led by Regina Lynch from June 14. She is a long-serving project director for the charity. Ms Lynch…
Deacon Greg Kandra June 11 – Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ Dt 8:2-3, 14b-16a Ps 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 1 Cor 10:16-17 Jn 6:51-58 Years ago, I heard the story of a priest who was getting ready for Sunday Mass. While puttering around in the sacristy, he reached into a storage cabinet, took a plastic…
The Pope at War – The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini and Hitler by David I. Kertzer (Oxford University Press, €29.00/£25.99) Dermot Keogh The decision in 2019 of Pope Francis to open the Vatican archives for World War II and beyond, becoming operational on March 2, 2020, is a significant milestone on the long…
Benedict XVI’s private secretary to return to home diocese According to a German newspaper report, Pope Francis ordered Archbishop Georg Gänswein to leave the Vatican and return to Germany by the end of June. The longtime private secretary of Pope Benedict XVI has been told to return to his home diocese of Freiburg in southwest…
Irish farmers have been “singled out” by plans that Government is considering that could see up to 65,000 dairy cows a year culled so as to bring the agricultural sector into line with climate targets. Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper, Birr, Co. Offaly, parish priest Fr Michael O’Meara said that farmers are “good stewards”…
Not that long ago people would have been amazed and puzzled at the way some elements in society today are going ballistic over gender. Gender Wars (Channel 4, Tuesday) tried to get to grips with the issue, but I suspect viewers were still amazed and puzzled. The main focus was on philosophy lecturer Kathleen Stock…
Pope has named two-thirds of cardinals eligible to elect his successor Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, the retired archbishop of Naples, celebrated his 80th birthday on June 2 and, consequently, became ineligible to enter a conclave to elect a new pope. The cardinal’s aging out left the College of Cardinals with 121 clerics under the age of…