Sometimes it takes a long arc of history for a remarkable person and his work to be fully acknowledged and recognised. A hundred years after he founded the Legion of Mary in Dublin, Frank Duff is now seen as not merely a devout and altruistic man, but enlightened and well before his time in his…
I had a conversation with an old rake the other day about past times and past sins, and their inclination to surface in the present. It occurred after a rather public accusation made by the Tory MP, Caroline Noakes, that she had been “groped” by Stanley Johnson – father of British prime minister Boris –…
They’ve dubbed it, sarcastically, ‘Pray to Stay’: that’s the description given to some refugees from the Middle East and North Africa who have converted to Christianity in Britain. The implication is that the 200 or so asylum seekers who have become Christians may have done so for manipulative reasons: so as to have a better…
Dara Ó Briain is surely one of the most successful of Irish comedians, mostly living and working in Britain, though currently on tour in Ireland. He’s the genial but sharp host of the hugely engaging Mock the Week satirical programme on BBC. Dara is also an award-winning debater and a brilliant mathematician who has partnered…
Because there may well be shortages in the shops come December – and even with on-line shopping – some prudent folks already have all their Christmas shopping, bar last-minute food, arranged, wrapped, and ready to deliver. A late Thanksgiving interrupted the space for Christmas shopping” There has been a world-wide disruption of supply chains, largely,…
Katharine Birbalsingh is a renowned British educator and headmistress of a school she founded: she is reckoned to be among the 20 most influential individuals in British education, and was recently appointed chairwoman of the Social Mobility Commission. There was a storm of protest, and others who served on the Social Mobility Commission rejected Ms…
In the current James Bond movie – No Time to Die – the villain, name of Safin, is played by an actor showing facial scarring (although Rami Malek’s facial markings are purely the product of the make-up department). And he’s not the first Bond villain to be a ‘scarface’. And it’s certainly unchristian to imply…
Are older people kinder and more considerate of others than the younger generations? Yes, they are, according to a global study carried out by the University of Birmingham – involving more than 46,000 people in 67 countries. During the Covid-19 pandemic, older people were more likely to maintain social distancing for the benefit of others,…
Last Sunday, Pope Francis launched a two-year worldwide consultative process that could give a much greater say to lay Catholics and “people on the margins of society” (see pages 8-9). I’m sure this will be rewarding, and yield many valuable responses. But as the Hollywood wag Sam Goldwyn, famous for his malapropisms, once said: “Include…
I think it’s a lovely idea to introduce a new public holiday in Ireland – to especially thank and commemorate all those health workers who gave of their best in the Covid-19 pandemic. But just copying the American ‘Thanksgiving Day’ (on Monday November 29) is pathetic. It has no relevance to the context of Irish life.…