It is “a big lie” to suggest Islamic State could be defeated with airstrikes, according to the head of the Syriac Catholic Church, who has accused Western governments of betraying Christians in the Middle East. “All Eastern patriarchs, myself included, have spoken out clearly to the West from the very beginning,” Syriac Patriarch Ignace Joseph…
Courtney McGrail
A feisty reporter’s book corrects for the Hollywood bias of Spotlight
A new film on the sex abuse crisis fails to tell the bigger story, writes Phil Lawler
Meeting the new face of Trócaire
Maura Garrihy (Youth Ministry Director, Galway diocese) and Siobhán Bradley (Youth Ministry Director, Tuam archdiocese) were among nine Irish delegates who travelled to Kenya on a Trócaire mission trip last week to meet the family, including Daisy (pictured), who will be the focus of the charity’s 2016 Lenten campaign.
State now pays less than SVP for ‘exceptional needs’
The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) is now spending more than the Department of Social Protection on helping people tackle the cost of “exceptional needs”. Since 2008, the department’s expenditure on exceptional needs has dropped from over €80 million to just €29 million this year. The number of payments each year has also…
May they rest in peace
November is the traditional month to remember and pray for the dead. Here we publish the names of priests who have died over the last 12 months in remembrance,thanksgiving and commendation of their souls to Almighty God.
Mary McAleese should consider converting to a faith that shares her beliefs and values
Dear Editor, When I was received into the Church last year after a lifetime as a practising Anglican, I made a profession of faith which committed me to “believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God”. This profession is the standard one for converts to…
Faith schools tend to perform better
Dear Editor, I noticed recently that the best results in the UK’s GCSE or whatever it is called now were achieved in Northern Ireland. I suspect that the majority of schools in the North are what might be called ‘faith’ schools. That in turn suggests that, regardless of the practice of faith of any kind,…
Don’t know how Neeson can support both abortion and children’s charity
Dear Editor, Actor Liam Neeson’s film career is thriving, so one must conclude that his voice-over endorsement of the Graham Linehan pro-abortion video reflects his personal position on the Eighth Amendment debate (David Quinn, IC 29/10/2015). One wonders how he can square this stance with his position as ‘celebrity supporter’ of UNICEF whose motto is…
Back to the catacombs…
To live is to change, according to Italy’s Dr Luigi Bettazzi, retired bishop of Ivrea, who believes this applies to the Church as well as for individuals. “Too often we think upholding tradition is standing firmly on what we have done in the past, when tradition really is to keep moving,” the 92-year-old bishop told…
Vatican News
Congregation denies mismanaging property The Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples has denied accusations of cronyism in renting out properties in Rome. Responding to news reports that Vatican-owned apartments were rented far below market value, with several owned by the congregation being rented at nominal rates to politicians, entertainers and Vatican employees’ relations, the congregation issued a statement…