The Church teaches that daily conversion and penance find their source and nourishment in the Eucharist, writes Cathal Barry The Church teaches that Jesus’ call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before him, does not aim first at outward works, fasting and mortification, but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion.…
Cathal Barry examines whether a priest’s character should influence the Mass The Irish are well known for their larger than life personalities and priests from these parts are no exception. The personality of the celebrant is a prominent element in the celebration of the liturgy, especially the Mass, particularly since the Second Vatican Council. To…
An Easter Rising specialist has criticised as “inaccurate” the depiction of the Church in RTÉ’s drama Rebellion. Historian Dr Shane Kenna told The Irish Catholic that the programme’s depiction of the then Archbishop of Dublin William Walsh was particularly “unfair”. “Walsh was a nationalist and while he wasn’t a fan of the Rising he was…
So the ‘silly season’ is well and truly over and many readers will have settled into their New Year resolutions by now. December is a notoriously difficult month for keeping healthy eating regimes on track and an even more precarious period for alcohol intake. Between work parties and meeting up with old friends, not to…
The President of the Pioneers Total Abstinence Association has insisted that the ban on the sale of alcohol on Good Friday should remain in place. James Shevlin told The Irish Catholic he would “very much oppose” reversing the ban because “it is an acknowledgment that the country wants to hold onto some of its Christian…
Church of Ireland Primate Archbishop Richard Clarke has warned politicians that a further liberalisation of abortion laws could pressurise parents of unborn children diagnosed with life-limiting conditions to terminate their pregnancies. Archbishop Clarke told The Irish Catholic he feared that liberalisation could create a “eugenics culture” and “begin a process where if there is any…
Singer Andrea Corr has revealed that she will be turning to prayer to help combat pre-concert nerves ahead of her first tour with The Corrs in over a decade. The 41-year-old experienced songstress admitted she still suffers from anxiety before performing and regularly prays before going on stage, according to a report in The Irish…
Stark new figures provide opportunity to plan for the future, Fr Gareth Byrne tells Cathal Barry The number of priests in the Dublin archdiocese is set to plummet by as much as 70% by 2030, new research has found. Other key findings include a predicted 33% decline in Mass attendance by 2030 and a higher…
The Church teaches that Christ’s call to conversion ultimately continues to resound in the lives of Christians, writes Cathal Barry
Staff Reporter Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has warned that the artwork displayed at the national seminary in Maynooth gives the “wrong impression” of what the Church’s message is. Noting that the long corridors of St Patrick’s College are “tapestried” with large portraits of bishops, Dr Martin claimed that most of them were “of little or any artistic…