Paolo Affatato The watchword: harmony. For 79-year-old Pakistani Cardinal Joseph Coutts, a musical metaphor best expresses his vision, his evangelical spirit — indeed, his very faith. It is also how he looks to the future of Christians in Pakistan: with hope, through harmony. “Harmony” is the word he chose as his episcopal motto — not…
If you have heard of Madagascar, you likely know the cartoon version better than the reality. King Julian is quite the character, bringing the uniqueness of the lemur to life. Last week I had the good fortune of meeting a lemur in the flesh in Madagascar and they have as much personality as Julian. Unique…
Ireland must not join the cascade of former colonial powers trampling on people’s wishes, writes Michael Sanfey Western Sahara – previously known as Spanish Sahara – had been under Spanish colonial control since the late 19th century until Spain decided to pull out in 1975 leading to a tussle for control between Morocco, Mauritania and…
By László Molnárfi A group of more than 50 people have registered to take part in a five-day hunger strike demanding justice for Gaza, organisers say. At the launch, held in Béguinage Church in the heart of Brussels on Monday, speakers highlighted the European Union’s “hypocrisy” on the Israel-Palestine war, the necessity of…
Tomorrow, Friday June 20, we celebrate the feast of the Irish martyrs. Between 1579 and 1654, 17 Irish martyrs, men and women, lay and clerical, were put to death for their Catholic faith. They were beatified by Pope St John Paul II in 1992. Their names were: Patrick O’Healy OFM; Con O’Rourke OFM; Matthew Lambert;…
According to aid workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sexual violence against women and girls is on the rise. “The systematic use of rape as a weapon of war is not only a violation of human rights, but also a targeted strategy to destabilise communities,” said the country director of the aid organisation…
The General Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation will meet in Augsburg in 2030. The occasion is the 500th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria announced in Munich on Friday. This was decided by the Council of the World Federation in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. The Confessio Augustana is…
An Italian boy dies of leukaemia at the age of 15. Now Carlo Acutis is canonised because he was particularly pious and socially committed. In addition to enthusiasm, the honour also triggers criticism. The boy in the red polo shirt smiles somewhat shyly into the camera, carrying a rucksack over his shoulders. Carlo Acutis, who…
Practising a religious faith boosts hope, resilience, and wellbeing according to major new research, confirming the findings of previous studies reported in this paper. The new study comes from Harvard University, and commenting on it one of Ireland’s leading psychiatrists, Professor Patricia Casey told this paper: “Basically what the Church is teaching is actually common…
A priest who volunteered at Lough Derg and studied in Rome has been remembered by friends and Church leaders as “a hero” and “a good shepherd” on the anniversary of his martyrdom. Fr Ragheed Ganni, a Chaldean Catholic priest from Mosul, was murdered by extremists on June 3 2007 after celebrating Mass with his parishioners.…
Chai Brady