Judith Sudilovsky Cardinal-designate Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, expressed the need to respect and protect the life and dignity of Palestinians during a July 10 visit to Jenin, following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the city July 5. “I see another face of resilience. I see people suffering, people experiencing the consequences of…

Kimberley Heatherington Those who minister to, or are part of, the community of people who identify as LGBTQ+ have observed a noted shift with respect to them and their concerns in the working document for the Church’s forthcoming synod of bishops convened by Pope Francis. The working document, or Instrumentum Laboris, was released June 20…

An irate mother of a First Communicant complained about all the hoops her family had to go through to participate in the ceremony: enrolment and Mass attendance and First Confession and everything. She might be the kind of parent so well titled by Fr Martin Delaney in these pages: a “bouncy castle Catholic”, i.e. one…

Stand with Ukraine’ is a slogan which has elicited much support across the political spectrum in all our European countries. We have nearly all backed Ukraine’s case against the Russian invader, admired its people’s resistance, and Volodymyr Zelensky’s courageous leadership. But the supply of cluster bombs to the Ukrainian war effort? Here is a dilemma…

Imagine if the day came when a highly credentialed US intelligence official publicly announced, “we are not alone”, and said the US government has proof in the form of alien spacecraft and the bodies of dead aliens. Imagine if a US Senator, sitting on the Senate Intelligence Committee, then confirmed that a number of other “serious”…

Tobias Winright My family and I moved to Maynooth from Saint Louis, Missouri, in the United States nearly a year ago. We had visited Ireland a dozen times during the past two decades, and we were attracted to the beauty of the Emerald Isle and the hospitality of its people. Also, although it had experienced…

Fr Séamus Murphy SJ The Government invited submissions to its Public Consultation on International Security Policy. Neutrality is on the menu. What does Catholic Social Teaching (CST) have to offer Irish Catholics as they reflect? CST’s values of peace, common goods, solidarity, respect for human dignity and rights, and preferential concern for the poor and…

What should we think about so-called ‘Citizens’ Assemblies’? They seem to be a favourite tool of the Government to nudge public opinion in a desired direction, to expose them to particular expert views and then win the backing of delegates for whatever policy the Government appears to have in mind before these assemblies even begin.…

Summer is traditionally a time for lazy vacations, yet at the Vatican it’s business as usual, with Pope Francis engaging in at least four noteworthy acts all in one day – from decisions on indulgences to seminary formation, to a surprise meeting with Bill Clinton. Though it was not announced beforehand, Pope Francis met with…

Ngala Killian Chimtom As more people slip into extreme hunger in Ethiopia following a suspension of food aid by international agencies, Catholic leaders are calling for that aid to be resumed, especially in the hard-hit Tigray region of the country. Bishop Tesfaselassie Medhin of the Ethiopian Catholic Eparchy of Adigrat said any delay in the…