The bishops have been urged by Catholic businessman Declan Ganley to reopen churches and begin Masses from Saturday in an act of peaceful civil disobedience, as “every other avenue has been tried”. “We have to, we’re not going to get our cases heard in anything like a timely manner,” Mr Ganley told The Irish Catholic.…
Fr John Guiney SJ, Director of Irish Jesuit Missions, called for the immediate release on bail of Fr Stan Swamy SJ, who has been incarcerated for more than 200 days awaiting trial. Fr Swamy’s arrest, on the grounds of terrorist activity, is a “shocking abuse of the law”, Fr Guiney told The Irish Catholic. “His…
Bishop Dónal McKeown concluded the weeklong retreat in memory of Sr Clare Crockett by praying for her canonisation, as people tuned in from across the globe. The retreat, organised to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Derry nun’s death in Ecuador, saw an average of 4,800 people tune into the livestream every day. “The amount…
Ireland is facing a trifold housing crisis, in terms of homelessness, rent eviction and affordability, writes Ruadhán Jones On Friday April 23, the national ban on evictions from homes in the rental market was lifted. Housing charities and experts have warned of a potential “eviction crisis” as a result, as effects of Covid on jobs…
How the Irish Saved Civilisation and The Gifts of the Jews (The Hinges of History Series) by Thomas Cahill (Sceptre, £9.99 paperback each) Thomas Cahill’s strength is not his historical accuracy, nor the depth and perceptiveness of his theories. Perhaps this is curious, given he is an American scholar of history and philosophy. Born in New…
The Irish OLA sisters believe racism and discrimination must be addressed as Ireland becomes more multicultural, writes Ruadhán Jones The problem of racism afflicts every society where different races come into contact. In the modern west, the increasingly multicultural flavour of societies means it is an issue of pressing importance. This includes Ireland, according to…
Personal Profile Lockdown has left many people, businesses and organisations struggling and the Pioneer Association – a Catholic movement against alcohol abuse – is no different. Knowing this, for life-long member and activist Mary Brady it was a no-brainer to put her recovery from a hip operation to good use. She has raised more than…
Bills in Ireland and Northern Ireland seeking to ban conversion therapy are too “broad and sweeping”, threatening penalties for “honest conversations” about sexual identity, according to Christian organisations. Courage International, an apostolate of the Catholic Church that counsels men and women with same-sex attractions, as well as evangelical organisations Affinity and the Fellowship of Evangelical…
The Irish Government must speak up about persecution of Christians in the Middle East, international charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) said, as recent videos showed ISIS executing a Christian in Egypt. A 62-year-old Egyptian Christian, Nabil El-Habashy, was killed by ISIS in the Sinai Province of Egypt, which has witnessed several deadly…
Death Comes for the Archbishop a novel by Willa Cather (Virago Press, £8.99/€11.40) Willa Cather’s Catholic classic Death Comes for the Archbishop was recognised from the time of its publication for its excellence. But Ms Cather is an unusual figure in American literature – a prolific author, poet, journalist and schoolteacher –and the romantic flavour of…