Few topics have spurred as much debate among Christian circles online as Stephen Fry’s recent outburst against God on RTÉ’s Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne, in which he says that if he were suddenly confronted by God as a reality, he would hold him to account for the world’s suffering. Edinburgh-based Dominican Lawrence Lew…
Fr Browne’s greatest images at Titanic centre
A selection of iconic images taken by one of the 20th century’s most significant photographers are on display in Northern Ireland for the first time. ‘Frank Browne – Through the Lens’ is an exhibition of over 100 photographs taken by the famous Titanic passenger Fr Frank Browne SJ who is described as the “father of…
Ireland’s man for all seasons
T.K. Whitaker: Portrait of a Patriot by Anne Chambers (Doubleday Ireland, €28.99)
Irish missionaries in America
A Patchwork Quilt: Pallottines in the USA I and II Donal F. McCarthy, SCA (available directly from Eprint.ie, €28.00)
Nigerian elections postponed as Boko Haram terror activity rages
Nigeria’s presidential and legislative elections, due to be held on 14 February, have been postponed by the country’s Independent Electoral Commission due to violence wrought by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. The last presidential elections in 2011 saw claims of vote-rigging which sparked violence against Christian communities in which 800 people were killed. Shortly…
El Salvador delights at the Pope’s decree for Archbishop Romero
Pope Francis’ authorisation of a decree recognising that Salvadoran archbishop Oscar Romero was killed “in hatred of the faith” and the subsequent announcement that the murdered archbishop will be beatified later this year have been greeted with delight in El Salvador. Msgr. Ricardo Urioste, who served as Archbishop Romero’s vicar general and is now president…
Call for global effort to liberate areas occuped by IS
The international community and national authorities must work together to liberate those areas occupied by Islamic State as soon as possible, according to an extraordinary synod of the Chaldean Bishops, and should “put in place the necessary measures to protect Christians and other Iraqis, so they all return to their homes and live in safety…
Indian police behaviour at cathedral protest slammed by Church leaders
Indian Church leaders have criticised the heavy-handed tactics of police who arrested almost 200 protestors assembled at New Delhi’s Sacred Heart Cathedral to protest against recent attacks on churches. Among those arrested were the archdiocesan vicar general Fr Susai Sebastian, civil rights activist and former All India Catholic Union president John Dayal, and Divine Word…
Rome’s red-light area is ‘tolerance zone for slavery’ – Ramonda
Rome’s first official red-light district is to be established in April, after Mayor Ignazio Marino gave his backing to council proposals. Although soliciting, pimping, and operating brothels are illegal in Italy, Italian law does not ban the sale of sex. Roughly half of Italy’s 70-100,000 prostitutes are believed to be foreign nationals, with two-thirds working…
Vatican Round-up
Pope’s promotion of spiritual purification is ‘painful and liberating’ In reforming the Roman Curia, “Pope Francis is promoting a spiritual purification of the temple, which is both painful and liberating, with the aim of making the glory of God, light of all, shine again in the Church,” according to Cardinal Gerhard Müller. Writing in L’Osservatore…

Courtney McGrail