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.
“A new type of Church – more lay-led – will have to emerge”, writes Michael Kelly Archbishop Eamon Martin recently said that priests and bishops need to get used to “letting go” of the central role in parish communities if faith is to be re-energised. In many ways, it’s not an issue of choice: declining…
“The most fitting tribute to Martin’s legacy would be to again find that courage to cut a deal”, writes Michael Kelly The former deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness was a complex man who embarked on a complex journey. From a childhood where he witnessed first-hand the discrimination suffered by Catholics in the North to a…
Bishop Eamonn Casey “…was greatly loved by the priests and people of the dioceses of both Kerry and Galway”, writes Michael Kelly It’s hard to get across to younger generations today the enormity of the scandal that was the revelation in 1992 that Bishop Eamonn Casey had secretly fathered a child years earlier. One got…
The Pope’s representative in Ireland Archbishop Charles Brown is to leave to take up a new appointment in coming weeks. The move was confirmed by the Vatican this morning. Archbishop Brown – who is credited with bringing a more open style to the role and helping rebuild fragile relations between Ireland and the Holy See…
“The Church will still continue to work and pray for a flourishing of vocations to the priesthood”, writes Michael Kelly “The last person out should switch off the lights.” That’s Donegal-based priest Fr Edward Gallagher’s stark reaction to revelations this week that dozens of rural post offices are set to close. Fr Gallagher, parish priest…
“Those misguided individuals who thought they were protecting the Church actually brought it to its knees”, writes Michael Kelly In the devastating report on the handling of abuse allegations against priests in the Dublin archdiocese, Judge Yvonne Murphy identified a clear pattern. The avoidance of scandal and the protection of the reputation of the Church…
Valentine’s Day gets a re-boot for couples Irish couples are being encouraged to get all loved up this St Valentine’s Day as part of the countdown to next year’s World Meeting of Families in Dublin. The event’s organisers are hopeful that, since Dublin is also home to the famous Shrine of St Valentine the patron…
There is “pressure from those who no longer go to Mass regularly but want the consolation of the Church when it comes to a death”, writes Michael Kelly Few things attract more controversy in a parish that a decision to cancel a Sunday Mass or reconfigure the weekend liturgical timetable. There’s often an undercurrent from…
France is facing arguably its most unpredictable election in decades. The hugely-unpopular Socialist President François Hollande has declined to run for a second term after his approval rating with the electorate slumped to just 4%. France, it seems, is eager for change. And in the turbulent world that gave us Britain’s exit from the European…
“Fr Flannery is clearly not even remotely on the same page as Pope Francis”, writes Michael Kelly Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar rebuked the Taoiseach at the weekend after Enda Kenny hinted that Fine Gael might be prepared to enter government with Sinn Féin. “In politics,” Mr Varadkar said, “you have to make compromises to…