Dear Editor, Congratulations to Bishop Brendan Leahy and all those in the Diocese of Limerick for taking the initiative to hold a diocesan synod (‘Limerick synod delegates gear up for the main event’ IC 04/12/2014). I hope the delegates can arrive at some conclusions in their attempt to lay out a path to enable the…
Courtney McGrail
Vatican rules out foul play in discovery of lost funds
The Vatican has ruled out foul play in the discovery of the hundreds of millions of euros missing from the Holy See’s balance sheet. Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi said there was “nothing illegal, illicit or poorly administered” about the missing funds. The clarification came after the discovery was made by Australian Cardinal George Pell,…
Faith groups ‘key’ to fighting Ebola, says UN
More cooperation is needed between the international community and faith leaders in stemming the ongoing Ebola epidemic, said a joint communique issued by the United Nations and the World Council of Churches. “It is important to share information at all levels, but much more important to intensify our direct efforts, especially at community levels,” said…
Kenya’s Christians ‘living in fear’ after latest attack, says bishop
Since Somali militants killed 36 non-Muslim quarry workers in early December, Christians in Kenya “are living in fear, wondering where the next attack will be,” Bishop Emanuel Barbara of Malindi, Kenya, has warned. “As Church leaders, “we are telling our people, ‘Be cautious and pay attention to what’s happening around you; but don’t let anger…
RTE has a religious blind spot
Dear Editor, RTÉ has a blind spot where religious faith is concerned. This was evident in the very minimal report RTÉĖ gave to the powerful address by Pope Francis in the European Parliament. In contrast the BBC, ITV and Sky News gave extensive coverage and good analysis of the event. I am sure the media…
Repentance is never mentioned
Dear Editor, Cathal Barry’s interesting article on Christ’s life (IC 06/11/2014) exemplifies some of the problems in the Church today. Similar to most of the sermons in today’s homilies, in his lengthy article Cathal does not once mention the word repentance. Did Christ die unconditionally for everyone? After reading Cathal’s article the thought crossed my…
Building homes of hope
Limerick student Sean Keane shares his experience of a school immersion programme in Brazil
Bishops launch online Advent calendar
Irish Catholic bishops use the internet to reach the masses
Pope, Turkish leaders trade concerns about religious discrimination
“Freedom of religion and freedom of expression, when truly guaranteed to each person, will help friendship to flourish and thus become an eloquent sign of peace” – Pope
Pope prays in Istanbul mosque, rallies local Christians
A day after hearing Turkish leaders demand the West show more respect for Islam, Pope Francis prayed alongside a Muslim cleric inside Istanbul's most famous mosque. At the Blue Mosque, Istanbul's grand mufti Rahmi Yaran led Pope Francis to the mosque's "mihrab," a niche indicating the direction to the holy city Mecca. He explained that…