The idea that so-called assisted dying can be limited is a dangerous lie, writes David Quinn The Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying has been hearing expert testimony on the matter for months now, both for and against. The term ‘assisted dying’ is, of course, a euphemism. It really means assisted suicide where you administer a…

Far from being a guilt trip, Confession is a transformative process that unites us with God writes Darach Ó Maoláin I remember on one occasion I had a small-scale debate with some locals of my generation. The debate revolved around the Church and its teachings. Naturally, I defended the Church. My counterparts were vocally disregarding…

The ministry of catechist is important for evangelising modern Ireland, writes Bishop Kevin Doran As Christians, we have been invited into an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. That invitation is not just for us. We have a gift to share; we have a story to tell. But how do we go about sharing the good…

John L. Allen Jr It’s rare indeed when an American president takes part in a four-way conversation and was, arguably, the least remarkable person in the group, but such was the case in June 1975 when President Gerald Ford made a visit to the Vatican. On that occasion, Ford met Pope Paul VI, today St…

Ngala Killian Chimtom While acknowledging that a recent wave of military takeovers across Africa often have drawn strong popular support as an expression of “deep-seated frustration” over corruption and injustice, the continent’s Catholic bishops nevertheless have reaffirmed their support for democracy and opposition to coups. “There might be queries regarding our stance on coups d’etat. Principally,…

The Irish Dominicans will celebrate 800 years in Dublin next year. Just three years after the death of St Dominic, they arrived in 1224 and were given land by the monks of St Mary’s Abbey on which to found their church and priory. That land was at the precise location of the present day Four…

Whenever, as a youngster, I got involved in some prank, mischief or general boldness, the Loreto nuns would have recourse to the reprimand that I was just “looking for attention”. I was, they would say, just a “notice-box”. Bless them – how little did they realise what the future held, and into what age we…

It is an iron law of nature that any species which fails to reproduce is doomed to extinction. The same goes for nations, and whole civilisations. Western civilisation is now several decades into a downward spiral of declining birth rates, and its future is profoundly uncertain. For a modern society to maintain a stable population,…

Everything must be done to ensure no repeat of the riots in Dublin, but first we must fully understand what happened, writes David Quinn Everyone was horrified by the scenes that unfolded in Dublin city centre on Thursday evening. It was an event that will be talked about and analysed for a long time to…

It’s easy to use the right words in development while people with disabilities remain overlooked, writes Dualta Roughneen This coming December 3 marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It was instituted in 1992 by the United Nations, to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of…