Sr Gemma Simmonds CJ Does it make sense to write about a spirituality of summer? At one level not at all, if it is to suggest that the spiritual life is subject to seasonal fluctuations, or that there is something about the summer that is more or less spiritual or spiritually-significant than any other time…
Cian Lynch, a devout Catholic who has spoken openly about the importance of his faith, led Limerick to a fourth triumph in a row as they beat Kilkenny on Sunday, July 23. Mr Lynch in his acceptance speech praised John Kiely as a “spiritual guy” and the “spiritual leader” of the team, but he himself…
An English Catholic bishop has praised a court for releasing a woman jailed for aborting her baby eight months into pregnancy. Auxiliary Bishop John Sherrington of Westminster, who leads pro-life efforts of the bishops’ conference of England and Wales, said he welcomed the decision of the Court of Appeal in London to free Carla Foster…
Fr Johan Verschueren, a Jesuit official and the superior of Fr Marko Rupnik, announced June 15 the expulsion of Fr Rupnik from the Society of Jesus due to his “repeated refusal” to address the allegations of sexual abuse and to comply with the restrictions placed on him. Fr Rupnik had according to canonical norms until…
Russia has been identified as the main culprit of information manipulation on the continent of Africa, writes Sofia Zate An expert panel on African disinformation has sounded the alarm on media manipulation and interference on the African continent during a press briefing in Dublin this month. Dr Dinesh Balliah, director of the Wits Centre of…
Jenna Marie Cooper Q: Since the Church teaches that God is a forgiving God, how could he banish a person to Hell? It is very difficult for me to believe that God would make that an eternal habitat for anyone. A: According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Hell’s principal punishment consists of eternal…
The Capuchin Day Centre continues to save lives, the new CEO tells Audrey Bryce “One of the primary values here is nonjudgment,” says Brian Friel, newly appointed CEO of the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin. Brian Friel entered the public recruitment campaign and says he is “very thankful” to have been named the centre’s CEO…
Argentine priest is Pope Francis’ new personal secretary Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on July 17 announced that Pope Francis has appointed a priest from the Buenos Aires Archdiocese, Fr Daniel Pellizzon, 40, to act as his personal secretary. Fr Pellizzon will replace Fr Gonzalo Aemilius in the position. Archbishop García said…
Mixed-religion marriages often present unique challenges in passing on the Faith In a mixed marriage someone has to compromise, and that someone was me. I married a Muslim man in 1995 oblivious to the challenges our religions would present in the future. I was living and working in Spain at the time. We met in…
US bishops warn against changing definition of brain death The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and a key Catholic bioethics group are both warning of a potential rewriting of US law to broaden the definition of brain death, a revision they claim relies on “deficient medical criteria”. The USCCB and the National Catholic…