The Church teaches that the Eucharist is its heart and summit, writes Cathal Barry In an ancient prayer the Church acclaims the mystery of the Eucharist: “O sacred banquet in which Christ is received as food, the memory of his Passion is renewed, the soul is filled with grace and a pledge of the life…

Sometimes nothing is as helpful as a good metaphor. In his book The God Instinct, Tom Stella shares this story: A number of men who made their living as porters were hired one day to carry a huge load of supplies for a group on safari. Their loads were unusually heavy and the trek through…

“If the Pope’s messages sounded bleak, it is because he cares at a deeply personal level about people who suffer”, writes Andrew O’Connell A perceptive article about Pope Francis appeared in the Economist magazine last week. It noted the downbeat tone of some of the Holy Father’s addresses during the lead-in to the festive season,…

It seems that Pope Francis wants to show the world that in within the modern Church, ‘mercy trumps rules’, writes Editor Michael Kelly All eyes are on Pope Francis to see what response he will make to the Synod of Bishops process that has been addressing controversial challenges facing the family. Since his election, Francis…

“perhaps the fact that ordinations are now rarer make them more valued”, contemplates Mary Kenny Two new priests recently ordained in Galway were photographed all smiles after their ordination ceremony on the Feast of the Epiphany. Fr John O’Halloran is 38 and Fr Michael King is 39 and their stories attracted interest because they had…

David Quinn lays out what the Late Late Show should have asked the new Master of Rotunda hospital Professor Fergal Malone, the new Master of the Rotunda hospital in Dublin, has been making a big public impact since his recent appointment. He has been interviewed in several newspapers and on the Late Late Show last…

Religious fundamentalism is sweeping the globe with disastrous consequences for Christians, writes Michael Kelly Systematic religious cleansing is widespread across Africa and the Middle East, according to new figures published this week. The Open Doors 2016 World Watch List reveals that every year well over 100 million Christians are persecuted because of their beliefs. North…

Greg Daly investigates some recent arguments against the Easter Rising “No one is ever told,” Aslan cautions Lucy Pevensey in C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books, “what would have happened”. It’s an observation that could fruitfully be borne in mind by those who proclaim that had the 1916 Rising never happened, Ireland would have attained independence anyway,…

Andrea Tornielli For Pope Francis, mercy is a personal encounter with God, writes Andrea Tornielli On March 13, 2015, as I listened to Francis’ homily for the penitential liturgy, at the end of which he was about to announce the Extraordinary Holy Year, I thought: it would be great to ask him some questions specifically…

Pope Francis wants Catholics to understand that the Church does not exist to condemn people, writes John L. Allen Jr In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and Americans ever since have pondered what might have been. Fifteen years later, the Catholic Church faced the same question about Pope John Paul I, the ‘Smiling…