Michael Kelly is an award-winning writer and broadcaster specialising in religious and social affairs. Born and raised in Northern Ireland, he attended the Pontifical University St Patrick’s College, Maynooth where he obtained degrees in philosophy and theology and the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome where he studied social institutional communications. From 2002-2005 he was an Editor in the Central Information Service of Vatican Radio. In this role, he travelled with Pope St John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI on overseas trips. In 2005, he returned to Dublin to take up the position of Deputy Editor with The Irish Catholic newspaper, succeeding as Editor in 2012. He is a regular contributor to programmes on RTÉ, BBC, UTV, CNN and Al Jazeera. He also have extensive experience offering media training and coaching in the voluntary sector. Mr Kelly is a weekly columnist with Ireland’s largest-selling secular newspaper the Irish Independent and has been published in The Irish Times, the Irish Examiner, The Irish News, The Guardian, Our Sunday Visitor, Catholic World Report, the National Catholic Reporter and the National Catholic Register. He writes from Ireland for Catholic News Service of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Micheal finished his stint as Editor of The Irish Catholic in January 2024 and has taken up the position of Director of Public Affairs for Aid to the Church in Need Ireland.
Catholics want greater transparency, participation in decision-making and accountability within parish and diocesan structures, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh has said. Publishing the synodal synthesis document this afternoon (Thursday) – which was this week forwarded to the Holy See – the Primate of All-Ireland acknowledged that the report reflects the challenges of “a major decline…
The Vatican has warned that the synodal process in Germany cannot adopt new approaches to the Church’s teaching on doctrines and morals. It will be seen by observers as a shot across the bow of other synodal processes insisting that they not veer from traditional Catholic understandings. “It seems necessary to make it clear that…
The synod process currently underway in Ireland is being replicated all across the Catholic world. To be sure, it is being met with varying degrees of enthusiasm – but it is a testament to the unity of Catholicism that the Pope is able to announce such an ambitious programme of consultation and within months parishes…
In a 6-3 decision today (Friday), the US Supreme Court overturned its nearly 50-year-old decision in Roe vs Wade that legalised abortion in the US. The move has been widely welcomed by Irish pro-life activists. The court’s 213-page ruling in Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health Organisation was not totally unexpected due to the leak of…
Editor’s Comment Voters in Colombia took to the polls at the weekend and in so doing elected that country’s first left-wing president. Gustavo Petro, the former mayor of the capital Bogota, is also an ex-paramilitary. His background as someone who took up arms against the government is attracting a lot of media attention internationally –…
To say that President Michael D. Higgins has caused dismay among the Irish missionary community would be to put it mildly. Which is ironic given that many of the same missionaries now scratching their heads at Mr Higgins’ ill-judged intervention on the recent massacre in Nigeria would have traditionally greatly admired his work. Mr Higgins…
Editor’s Comment The Irish synodal process is continuing apace. Interest has been patchy; some parish gatherings have attracted only a handful of people – others have seen hundreds of people eager to have their say on the future of their faith community. Priests and even bishops have varying levels of interest in the process, with…
Despite the challenges, Mass-going Catholics continue to find their parishes life-giving and hugely value the role of their hard-working priests. This is one of the key trends emerging in synodal reports as the 26 dioceses have now forwarded their summaries to Maynooth. Many parishes have been meeting over recent months to look at what brings…
Editor’s Comment Pope Francis has unveiled his latest additions to the Church’s most exclusive club. The College of Cardinals will be exclusively charged with choosing his successor when there is a vacancy. We used to, of course, say that they would elect a new Pope when the old Pope died – but Benedict’s abdication of…
Editor’s Comment Pope Francis is increasingly showing the signs of ageing, at least physically. The 85-year-old Pontiff has been increasingly moved around the Vatican in a wheelchair in recent weeks. He now regularly appears with a walking cane aimed at taking the weight off his knee which has been ailing him in recent months. According…