To criticise the synodal process that recently culminated in a national gathering of delegates after a five-year period of consultation and reporting is by no means to criticise the concept of synodality itself. In fact, it can be an expression of that very synodality understood as all the People of God journeying together in conversation…
When it comes to keeping public discourse moderate in tone, measured in content and focused on persuasion rather than coercion, most of us would expect more from a politician than a pop star. Recently, PBP politician Richard Boyd Barrett and pop idol Ed Sheeran showed this can be completely the other way round. Ed Sheeran,…
The recent visit of Pope Leo to Paris, Lourdes and Metz with its images of jubilant, predominantly youthful throngs, cheering and singing, brought back memories of similar scenes from the Ireland of September, 1979 when Pope St John Paul II took Ireland by storm. Today, memories of that visit have a dark lining. It is…
Universities have changed. Not in the way we expect of all institutions over time but in a way that upturns their foundational purpose as custodians of knowledge and of the traditions and beliefs that underpin our civilisation. Historically, they are also facilitators of free enquiry that push the boundaries of knowledge and understanding. What we…
The trial of Lindsay Clancy in Massachusetts for strangling her three small children in 2023 ended two weeks ago with a hung jury and a verdict of mistrial. The case attracted a high level of media interest and a very polarised debate between those who see Lindsay herself as a victim and those who, in the…
The sad story of Jason Arday has at this point been recast over and over to denounce either racism or DEI. The story has, however, a wider, less contentious angle. It centres on the question of how outlier cultures, whether based on religion or race, can thrive within a society that finds at least some…
Recently, Pope Leo welcomed the new female Archbishop of Canterbury to the Vatican. The optics of the meeting bring the Catholic Church’s male-only priesthood into focus though it can never really be said to be out of focus among progressive Catholics. It is difficult to make a case for the theological rationale behind the Church’s…
It’s over two years since Pope Francis launched the Synod on Synodality and to many it seems at this point to be all about assemblies, working groups and reports that float high above the lives of the man and woman in the pew. The publicity and the posters are a rapidly fading memory. The idea…
Fr Brian Lennon SJ takes issue with the Catholic position on the ordination of women to the priesthood (The Irish Catholic, 12/2/2026). In making his case, Fr Lennon begins with an emotional appeal. A female chaplain can comfort a dying patient only to the point of giving them the Sacrament of the Sick. Then she…