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.
“Conscience has to be understood more widely than the mere deification of feelings or obedience to a dominant orthodoxy”, writes Editor Michael Kelly By the time most people read this, the general election will be over. At least the vote-casting part of it. All but a few seats will be decided, and it will be…
When considering your vote, Christians should consider the concept of the ‘common good’, writes Editor Michael Kelly Voters in the Republic go to the polls next week to elect the members who will make up the 32nd Dáil. To this point, it’s been a particularly dull election campaign and many of the party leaders are…
“When someone objects to mandatory celibacy, it is because they imagine it to be a lonely life”, writes Editor, Michael Kelly The Pope’s right-hand man Cardinal Pietro Parolin this week cautioned against knee-jerk reactionary responses to problems facing the Church. Addressing a conference on the issue of priestly celibacy in Rome, the Vatican Secretary of…
“A healthy society is one where different views can be held and the right to hold those views, subject to the common good, is cherished rather than resisted”, writes, Editor Michael Kelly The McArthur family, who run the Ashers Bakery Company in the North, are back in court this week to appeal an earlier finding…
To visit Europe’s holiest sites is to connect with a living tradition writes Michael Kelly Pope St John Paul II, during a visit to the historic pilgrim city of Santiago de Compostela in 1982, issued a passionate plea for Europeans to rediscover the Christian roots of the continent. “I send to you, age-old Europe, a…
A Vatican cardinal has confirmed that an increasing number of priests turn down appointment as bishop, writes Michael Kelly A joke popular in some clerical circles is to quip that anyone who wants to be a bishop deserves it. But, more often than not, many a true word is spoken in jest. Anyone intimately acquainted…
Politicians have forgotten about ‘vulnerable fellow citizens’ in the prelude to the Rising Centenary, writes Editor Michael Kelly The Fine Gael-Labour coalition has been at pains to point out that the commemorations of the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising should be as inclusive as possible. The State has given grants to unionist communities in…
“The Church needs to find a way to help families, often with a limited sense of the Faith, explore whether or not the sacraments are important to them”, writes Editor Michael Kelly There’s no doubt that the report on the Archdiocese of Dublin showing a dramatic decline in the number of priests and the number…
Religious fundamentalism is sweeping the globe with disastrous consequences for Christians, writes Michael Kelly Systematic religious cleansing is widespread across Africa and the Middle East, according to new figures published this week. The Open Doors 2016 World Watch List reveals that every year well over 100 million Christians are persecuted because of their beliefs. North…
It seems that Pope Francis wants to show the world that in within the modern Church, ‘mercy trumps rules’, writes Editor Michael Kelly All eyes are on Pope Francis to see what response he will make to the Synod of Bishops process that has been addressing controversial challenges facing the family. Since his election, Francis…