The View During these weeks priests are on the move across Ireland. Some will retire completely, others, will continue to minister as pastors emeritus, some will take responsibility for their first parish, others – young in ministry will move to new parishes – or even, in the very exceptional case to their first parish as curate. It is…
The View The complex problem of how best to deal with the legacy of the ‘Troubles’ has been under discussion for over 24 years. The current Conservative government in London had made very clear commitments to produce legislation and had issued a consultation paper listing its proposals in May 2018, four years ago. Those proposals included…
The View Things are changing in Northern Ireland. Saturday’s election results, in which Sinn Féin retained its 27 seats to become the largest party in the Assembly, and the Alliance Party more than doubled their seats from eight to 17, mark a significant moment in our history. However, it remains to be seen how significant…
The View It is the evening of Palm Sunday as I write this – just a few hours ago we came home from Armagh where the annual Mass for ‘the disappeared’ was celebrated by Archbishop Eamon Martin. It was a very poignant and sad occasion as we gave thanks for the recovery of the bodies of…
The View I sat with many hundreds of MPs and members of the House of Lords to watch President Volodymyr Zelenskyy address parliament from Ukraine on the terrible situation in his country. It was one of those totally unprecedented moments – the first occasion on which a president had addressed parliament in this way: a…
The View In March last year the bishops announced a new synodal pathway leading to a national synod assembly or assemblies. The purpose of that process was to answer one question – “What does God want from the Church in Ireland at this time?” Some 500 people or groups wrote in to answer the question…
The View It can be hard to remember a time when there was no social media, when communication was verbal, or written on pieces of paper which were then dispatched to places far and near. With such means of interaction a responsibility normally attached to how we interacted with others. Any untruth, any calumny or…
The View When I was a little girl, all the best stories began with “Once upon a time…” It was a magical opening because I always wondered, “Where is this book taking me? When is it happening?” In the days before television (I am very old!) books were the medium through which I was transported…
The View Over the years I have been involved in the investigation of many murders which resulted from terrorist shootings and bombings, and deaths in violent situations. Such events are without question, terribly traumatising for those who are left behind – the family and friends of the person who died. My involvement has very often…
The View Campaigns to make euthanasia/assisted suicide legal are underway in both England and Wales, and here in Ireland. The most recent bill was before the House of Lords on Friday. We had just three minutes each to make the case against the bill…a challenge! That was very little time in which to contemplate the…