The Catholic Bishops of South Africa have urged the government to reconsider its decision to pull away from the International Criminal Court, as the country’s move leads to more African nations quitting the international justice body, all amid claims that it disproportionately targets Africans. As The Irish Catholic went to press this week, the South…
Courtney McGrail
Pope’s Nordic noir
Dear Editor, It was interesting to see the Pope in Sweden this week to mark 499 years since an Augustinian monk from a small town in Germany nailed a set of heretical theses to the town bulletin board, in hope of starting a conversation about his new ideas. People with less education and training than…
Address problem of theological illiteracy
Dear Editor, I attended your splendid Conference on the subject of Faith-based Schools in a pluralist society and was struck by the high calibre of many of the contributions, especially those of Francis Campbell and Baroness Nuala O’Loan. However, I was also impressed by the letter of Julie Connolly (‘A tendency towards pantheism’ IC 20/10/2016)…
Dominican ordination
Fr Eddie Conway OP, prior of St Saviour’s Church, Dublin, outside the Dominick Street church with Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Bro. Philip Mulryne OP and Ireland’s Dominican provincial Fr Gregory Carroll OP, following the diaconal Dominican ordination ordination of Bro. Philip, a former Northern Ireland, Manchester United and Norwich City football.
Aid agency rejects ‘contraception distribution’ claim
A leading Catholic aid agency has rejected an accusation that it has been involved with distributing contraceptives in Africa. Following claims by a body named the Lepanto Institute that the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) had made contraceptives available during its field work in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2006 and 2010, the CRS…
Question the office as much as the minister
Dear Editor, In her opinion piece of October 20, Mary Kenny asks whether Katherine Zappone is fit for the job. While it is legitimate to question her competency for the office, I think in fairness one should question the office itself as fulfilled by her and her predecessors. After all, the education of children is…
Crisis? What crisis?
Dear Editor, Your article ‘Catholic Library leadership rejects crisis claims’ (IC 27/10/2016) reports that the new chairperson of the Central Catholic Library insists the library is not in a state of crisis despite almost a third of library’s board having stepped down. It is hard to imagine anyone who read the article with attention sharing…
World News in Brief
Asia Bibi judge resigns from the bench The Pakistani judge whose absence from court on October 13 caused yet another postponement of Asia Bibi’s appeal against her blasphemy death sentence has resigned from the bench. Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman is understood to have submitted his letter of resignation on the basis that he is also a judge in the case of…
Arrogance of Zappone is startling
Dear Editor, I would like to thank Mary Kenny for her excellent article of October 20, 2016, ‘Is Katherine Zappone fit for her government job?’ As a grandparent who minds our grandchildren weekly, I so appreciate her sensitivity. The sheer arrogance of Minister Zappone is startling. Her refusal to give young mothers the choice of…
Knock to host bilingual 1916 requiem
Knock Basilica will this weekend be the centre of a moving and evocative Marbhna 1916 Requiem Mass in Irish to remember all of those who died in 1916. The Mass, to be celebrated at noon on Sunday, November 6, will be celebrated by Achonry’s Bishop Brendan Kelly, accompanied by music composed by Odhrán O’Casaide. …