Questions of Faith Most people have heard of or watched pseudo-Christian movies like The Da Vinci Code or Stigmata which make claims that Jesus had a secret marriage with Mary Magdalene or that the Kingdom of God is in all of us. The role of these movies is to sensationalise commonly accepted teachings about Christianity…
A Fianna Fáil TD has refused to answer questions on whether or not he raised the issue of Christian persecution in Iran when he met the country’s ambassador last week. Niall Collins, who is the party’s frontbench spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Trade, met with Masoud Eslami in Dublin for what he described as discussing…
A Christian business which refused to print civil partnership ceremony invitations to a gay man has said other groups have been targeting the business because of their decision. Drogheda-based company Beulah Print and Design were ordered to pay €2,500 after the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) found it had discriminated against a man on the grounds…
Questions of Faith There’s an old saying, usually attributed to Benjamin Franklin, which points out that there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. While Franklin’s economic predictions may not hold water in some distant society of the future, his first point about our mortality certainly rings true. We all die. Religions…
The Church’s Jewish dimension needs to be recovered, Prof. Gavin D’Costa tells Colm Fitzpatrick In Andrew Marvell’s sardonic 17th Century poem, ‘To His Coy Mistress’, the poet submits that he would spend all of time trying to court a beautiful woman even if this entailed being forthrightly rejected. His steadfastness is described in theological…
A priest based in a border county has condemned dissident republican activity in the area, after paramilitary arms were found by gardaí over the weekend. Around one thousand rounds of ammunition and a mortar tube were found in two hides, approximately 6km from Omeath, Co. Louth, on Saturday. The ammunition was concealed in lunch boxes…
Two-parent families are under immense pressure to remain in the workforce, leaving them less opportunity to spend valuable time with their children, a leading theologian has said. Dr Tom Finnegan of St Patrick’s College, Thurles, told The Irish Catholic that the sheer expense of living is forcing parents into the workforce, meaning they can no…
Questions of Faith The problem of suffering, sometimes academically referred to as ‘theodicy’, is a troublesome topic everybody wrestles with, both spiritually and intellectually. It’s been phrased in many different ways, but the most famous version of the question is attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus: “Is God willing to prevent evil, but not…
A Sligo-based priest has resorted to using bottled water for the Mass, following ongoing drinking restrictions on the local water supply. Fr John Glynn of Kilmatigue parish said that as a result of a boil notice imposed on customers supplied by Lough Talt in Sligo, he has turned to shop-bought bottled water for mixing with…
Pro-life TD Peadar Tóibín has announced the name of his new political party as Aontú – which means unity and consent. The name was unveiled on Twitter ahead of a public meeting in Belfast on Monday night. The Meath West TD said the city was chosen for the formal announcement because it was the birthplace…