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.
Editor’s Comment I came across a quotation recently something along the lines of: counting other people’s sins does not make you a saint. Though I haven’t been able to find out the origins of the phrase, it resonated with me and struck me as very wise indeed. It speaks to something persistent at the very…
Pro-religious freedom groups have welcomed the decision of Europe’s highest court to reject a claim by a Belfast man that he was discriminated against after Christian bakers refused to make a cake with a message promoting same-sex marriage. In a definitive judgement delivered this morning (Thursday) the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said the…
Editor’s Comment “It’s not you, it’s me…” has to rank as one of the worst – not to mention corniest – lines to use in a relationship breakup. Mercifully, I’ve never had it said to me – but evidently it is intended to ease the dumpee’s feelings in the sure and certain knowledge that it…
Young people must be central to the conversation about Irish reunification, the Primate of All-Ireland has said in his new year’s message. Archbishop Eamon Martin also warned that victims of the conflict in the North cannot be denied access to justice by controversial proposals from the British government on legacy issues. “As we begin a…
‘Negaholism’ is a term that is used to describe the state or condition of being addicted to negative thinking. Counsellors and therapists more-and-more see it as a psychological addiction that has an impact on a person’s overall quality of life. Of course, it’s important to distinguish between negaholism and deep-seated clinical depression which is a…
A new initiative aims to bring the Holy Land to life in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem, writes Michael Kelly The followers of St Francis of Assisi – Franciscans – first arrived in the Holy Land in the year 1217, inspired by the presence of the holy places associated with the earthly…
A new exhibit at the national museum aims to shed light on 1,500 years of devotion to St Columba, writes Michael Kelly Stop a passer-by in any Irish town and ask them who the patron saints of Ireland are. Chances are everyone will be able to rhyme off St Patrick. Perhaps many make a stab…
Editor’s Comment When he was first made a bishop in Argentina, Pope Francis took as his motto the Venerable Bede’s account of Jesus recruiting the tax collector Matthew, miserando atque eligendo, which roughly translates “He saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him”. Friends say that Bishop Bergoglio liked the way Latin had…
If someone who had never heard the story of Jesus were to ask any of us about his origins, we would, I suspect, begin with the story of his birth in Bethlehem. It’s a story that we’re all familiar with from childhood. In schools and parish halls across the country, countless generations of Irish children…
Dennis Sadowski As an author and lecturer, Fr Donald B. Cozzens, a Cleveland diocesan priest and former seminary rector, shared candid insights on the priesthood, challenging the Church to confront clericalism and renew its structure. Despite criticism privately and publicly from fellow clergy, Fr Cozzens maintained that it was his love of the priesthood that…