“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
Courtney McGrail
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…
Pope urges Muslim leaders to condemn violence done in name of Islam
The pope has spoken to with the Turkish President
A lack of compassion or irresponsibility?
Dear Editor, How uplifting to read Philip Johnson’s story of his diagnosis of terminal brain cancer and his hope of ordination to the priesthood (IC 13/11/2014). What a comparison with that of 29-year-old Brittany Maynard who ended her life because of a similar diagnosis. All life is fragile and worth living but, unfortunately, not always…
Archbishop Neary should listen to Christina Gallagher
Dear Editor, The story on Archbishop Michael Neary in The Irish Catholic of November 13 makes for grim reading: “Church has ‘lost the battle’ with secularism”. Sadly, one would have to agree with his assessment. It’s such a pity that our Church leaders did not take heed of our Blessed Mother’s request to have the rosary…
Tribute to a clerical hurling legend
Dear Editor, The death has occurred of Venerable Archdeacon Michael O’Brien, known to a generation of Cork GAA supporters as ‘the Canon’. The people of Cork are saying goodbye to a priest who has served us well; walked with us in our joys, our sorrows and in our everyday lives. He baptised us, prayed with…
Letters of despair
Dear Amen, Can you please give me some advice, as to what I should do about my situation? I have been married to my wife for nearly 17 years. For the first 14 years we were very happy. We have two glorious children aged 11 and 8. About three years ago we went through a stressful…
Christmas seen from Calcutta
Anthony Redmond Mother Teresa was being interviewed on a particular occasion on TV and there was a break for advertisements for various inessential, unimportant things. “I see that Christ is needed in television studios,” she muttered. Malcolm Muggeridge said about her, “she sees in each sorrowing, suffering human being neither a body surplus to a population…
Strong views from Down Under
Sean Ryan Anthologies are a great way to be introduced to a writer, as the editor’s job is to highlight the best of the author/columnist/essayist within the pages of a single book. In this case, it is the sermons of Australian Cardinal George Pell, and he has been well served by his editor, Tess Livingstone, who…
Much more to the GPO than just Easter week
J. Anthony Gaughan The GPO is the nerve centre of our postal system. That system can be traced back to the political and military turmoil of the 16th and 17th centuries when communication became vital to the English policy of aggrandisement in Ireland. Then in the 1640s, Evan Vaughan, the postmaster in Dublin, established a staging system along the…