The decision to invite Scotland’s First Minister of State to speak at a major lecture focusing on Catholic education was defended by a native bishop following criticism from pro-life advocates. The 2019 Cardinal Winning Lecture is held after Catholic education week each year, however this year marks the Centenary of the Catholic Education Scotland Act…
Bishop Donal McKeown has said that experiencing narratives of victimhood and hopelessness during a recent trip to the Holy Land reminded him of ministering in Belfast during the civil conflict in the North. The Bishop of Derry was speaking on his return from the Holy Land where he was part of the annual ‘Holy Land…
“Bold steps” are needed before Ireland closes the gap between its climate change commitments and its performance, overseas development charity Trócaire said following the release of an embarrassing government memo. Supporting bills that encourage divestment from fossil fuels and the banning of their extraction will see Ireland move from “laggard to leader” according to the…
Church leaders in South Sudan and Congo wonder if they have laboured in vain because too often their own people are waging war against each other, a Sudanese priest said during a meeting of hundreds of men and women from dozens of religious orders. The root of the conflict, Fr Maurice Ibiko said, is “the…
All faiths must protect Jerusalem’s current status Christians, Muslims and Jews who are sincere about their faith must be committed to protecting the special character of Jerusalem and to praying and working for peace in the Holy Land, Pope Francis wrote in a letter to the grand imam of Egypt’s al-Azhar University. Only a special, internationally guaranteed statute on the status…
A leading theologian has rejected claims that Catholics are significantly over-represented among trainee primary teachers. The claim follows research from NUI Galway’s School of Education, which found that 90% of surveyed respondents who entered Irish primary teacher education programmes identified as Catholic, with just under half of these attending religious services at least once a…
A cloud of darkness seems to be hovering over the land of the free and home of the brave, writes Fr Thomas Rosica CSB The last presidential election campaign in the United States was a divisive, bitter, toxic, embarrassing and polarising experience for many in the US and for people around the world, leaving…
Transition Year students of Le Chéile Secondary School, Dublin have been performing a tribute to the famous rock band Queen this week with a show entitled ‘We Will Rock You’. This is the first ever musical staged at the four-year-old Catholic secondary school set up by the Le Chéile Trust, which includes live performances of…
Pope Francis in South America Barbara J. Fraser Pope Francis tackled politically charged issues during his weeklong visit to Chile and Peru, decrying human trafficking, environmental destruction, corruption and organised crime in speeches before audiences that included political leaders. At the same time, he called for unity, dialogue and coexistence in each of the…
The World Meeting of Families is inviting couples to share special tokens of love with a difference for St Valentine’s Day this year. Following Pope Francis’ calls to celebrate St Valentine’s Day in a more meaningful way, WMOF2018 is inviting couples to think beyond the traditional box of chocolates or bunch of flowers to gifts…
Susan Gately
Chai Brady