Dear Editor, Notwithstanding the euphoria following the marriage referendum result on May 22, and the approval of this expressed by some writers in your letters page, and leaving aside specifically religious considerations, I believe any truly objective observer of the debate which preceded the vote would agree that the result was a victory for emotion…
Courtney McGrail
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Killian Barrett explains what makes him continually go to World Youth Day
We owe a debt to the most vulnerable, says Pope
Mercy and faith have shaped Latin American culture for centuries, Pope Francis said on arriving in Ecuador on the first day of his July 5-12 tour of Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay, insisting that the Gospel continues to hold the key to our contemporary challenges. Speaking after a 12-hour flight from Rome, the Pontiff took part…
Egyptian army backed by Orthodox Church
Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox Church has expressed sympathy and support for the country’s armed forces after a series of jihadist attacks in north Sinai. In an official statement, the Church said it supported the military’s struggle “against the forces of evil that threaten security in the region and in the world”, and invoked God’s help “to…
Pell’s successor defends cardinal’s record
Criticism of Cardinal George Pell’s record on abuse is “tremendously unfair”, according to his successor in Sydney, Archbishop Anthony Fisher. Pointing out that the cardinal was the first Australian bishop to take real steps to tackle abuse, Dr Fisher speculated that a large part of Cardinal’s Pell’s problem is that for a long time he…
Activist calls for new alliances to fight climate change
In a world where profit is consistently put before both people and the planet, climate economics has everything to do with ethics and morality, according to a leading activist ahead of a Vatican conference. The Canadian Naomi Klein, best known for her criticisms of corporate capitalism and globalisation, had been invited to Rome to speak…
South Africa must put people before profit – bishop
If structural issues in South Africa’s mining industry are not tackled soon, the country will see a repeat of the 2012 Marikana massacre, according to the head of South Africa’s episcopal conference’s Justice and Peace Commission. Bishop Abel Gabuza, responding to the publication of an inquiry report, warned that another Marikana could happen “if we…
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A sign saying, "Good news: Jesus Loves You," is seen as Pope Francis arrives to greet participants in the Renewal of the Spirit meeting in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican July 3. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
Vatican Round-up
One billion opportunities Growth in global tourism is an opportunity even more than a challenge for the Church, according to the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples. A statement issued in advance of World Tourism Day, which will take place on September 27, noted that there some 1 billion tourists…
Oldest Irish person thanks God
The oldest Irish person in history has died aged 113. Co. Clare native Kathleen Snavely passed away at a nursing home in New York on Monday. In an interview, she recalled arriving in the US with just a few dollars to her name. “I remember when I had nothing,” she said. “I just thank God…