Jesus cannot be reduced to a Buddha-like figure who came to bring a message of enlightenment, writes Dr John Murray Whilst it is perhaps good to see Dr Noel Keating encouraging “the Christian churches” (sic) to pursue contemplation, it is deeply worrying to see how he describes this contemplation and his background beliefs about Christ…

The Sunday Gospel The Sunday Gospels these weeks are about Jesus on the way to Calvary and how his followers are to take up their crosses also. Today’s reading (Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48) is a challenge to be Christian not only in name but also in the way we live. Do I belong to Christ…

Dr Philip Gonzales says the receipt of a prestigious grant will see St Patrick’s College, Maynooth shape the future of Christian philosophy, writes Jason Osborne Christianity identified the discipline of philosophy early on as a potential ally in its efforts to show the intelligibility of Christ’s message to the world. Many of the Church Fathers…

The emotional side of love matters, but doesn’t fully capture the reality involved, writes Dr Gaven Kerr Love is a concept that is well known and familiar to a lot of us. It is present in nearly every movie script we come across, it is central to numerous great works of literature, and it is…

The Sunday Gospel Last Sunday we completed the first half of the ministry of Jesus and moved into the second stage.  “Who do you say I am?”  The first half of Mark is complete when Peter recognises him as the Christ, the Anointed One.  Jesus is his personal name and Christ is his career name,…

Parishioners must be trained and prepared in innovative ministries to keep parishes alive, the new bishop of Ferns tells Chai Brady Every diocese has a unique set of challenges but there is a “definite trend” all are experiencing in Ireland which is the continued decrease in priestly vocations, with the new Bishop of Ferns saying…

The Sunday Gospel In today’s Mass we reach the halfway point of Mark’s Gospel (Mark 8: 27-35). The first half develops the identity of who Jesus is and it is time to ask the question, “Who do people say I am?” The second half will deal with the question of the way that Jesus is…

Catholic charity St Francis Leprosy Guild is striving to see leprosy eradicated within 25 to 30 years, writes Jason Osborne Leprosy, or Hansen’s disease, has stalked the world since biblical times, and God has often used it to show that his healing power is at work in the world. He transformed the appearance of Moses’…

Ireland is unprepared in battle against the demonic as Christianity declines, a renowned US exorcist tells Chai Brady The number of people who believe they are being oppressed or even possessed by demonic forces has continued to rise as Christianity declines in the Western world, according to a well-known American exorcist who warns that practicing…

Catholic business Eternum Columbarium wants to provide a dedicated space for cremated remains, Ruadhán Jones hears The number of people opting for cremation instead of burials has risen steadily in Ireland and Northern Ireland over the last 20 years. In 2019, the figure sat at just under a quarter (22%) of deaths ending with cremation…