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.
I’ve mentioned once or twice before that I grew up in Northern Ireland and for me it will always be home. When I was six-years-old, the British and Irish governments signed what became known as the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985. For the first time, it gave the Irish Government a say in the day-to-day affairs…
Archbishop Eamon Martin has said that the Churches could have done more to aid peace and reconciliation in Ireland. Speaking at a service of reflection and hope in Armagh this morning (Thursday), Archbishop Martin referred to the centenary of partition saying: “When I look back on what happened on this island in 1921, like many…
The shock was palpable as news spread on Friday afternoon that the British MP Sir David Amess had been killed. His murder – by a suspected Islamist – sent shockwaves through the political system in Britain. While every death in such circumstances is beyond awful, Sir David’s murder seems to have struck a deeper chord…
Pope Francis is banking on an unprecedented consultation of the Faithful revitalising the Church, but discernment remains hard to pin down, writes Michael Kelly from Rome Pope Francis has opened a global consultation process on the future of the Church warning that it is not a parliament or a matter of putting Church dogma up…
I felt blessed to be in Rome at the weekend to be with Pope Francis for the launch of the synodal way which will see a massive programme of consultation in every parish in the Catholic world. The Irish phase of the consultation – known as the synodal way – will begin in dioceses this…
From the moment of his election eight years ago, Pope Francis laid down a marker that the Church is not a debating chamber but exists to bring Christ to the world. Speaking the morning after his election he warned the cardinals who had just thrust him to the papacy: “We can walk as much as…
The US state of Kansas ranks 27th in terms of American states for the percentage of residents who are Catholic. Some 18% of Kansans – fewer than one in five – identify as Catholic. In the Diocese of Wichita – which covers 26 counties in south central and southeast Kansas – only about 10% of…
The Diocese of Dromore has vowed that it will commit whatever resources are available to a new redress scheme for survivors of clerical sexual abuse. Archbishop Eamon Martin made the commitment in Newry today (Wednesday) while announcing the formation of an independent panel and insisted that the process will be managed by a third party…
If the ecumenical service to mark the centenary of partition wasn’t political to begin with, it certainly is now. The decision by President Michael D. Higgins to refuse to participate in the ceremony has thrust what was to be a modest event centre-stage. It’s still not entirely clear why Mr Higgins felt so uncomfortable about…
Being born and raised in Tyrone, I can hardly be taken as an impartial commentator when it comes to Gaelic games. I was delighted to be in Croke Park on Sunday to see the senior footballers crowned All-Ireland champions. It’s hard not to have sympathy for Mayo as their long wait for elusive All-Ireland success…