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…
Recently, a new community garden was opened in the centre of Rathdowney, Co. Laois. The garden is on the site of the old parish church and we hope it will be a place of gathering and celebration but also a space for contemplation and prayer. Among the entertainers who performed at the opening ceremony were…
Some people enter a theatre of war and never see battle. I was in Paris last week, at the height of the reported violence, and witnessed nothing amiss. Wherever I went in central Paris, it was untroubled: the Etoile area, the Louvre, the Comedie-Française (playing to full houses), Montparnasse, the Bibliothèque Nationale, the Latin Quarter,…
Few theologians have ever gone out of their way to meet with the Vatican’s doctrinal watch body, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, preferring, with good reason, to give it a wide berth. That is precisely what I did, however, in my capacity as president of the 800 member European Society for Catholic…
It is very good to be part of a rejoicing Church. I have been privileged over the last two weekends to attend ordination ceremonies – one in Westminster diocese in England, and one in my home diocese of Down and Connor. Dedicated At a time when there is so much talk of the problems and…
A special Oireachtas committee on ‘assisted dying’ has been holding public hearings for the last four weeks. The task before it is to consider whether or not Ireland should introduce assisted suicide for people who are terminally ill and nearing the end of their lives. It is clear from listening to the members of the committee,…
As I write, it’s the great Roman feast of Ss Peter and Paul, the patron saints of the Eternal City. The double feast is of ancient origin, but the link between the two saints has taken on even greater significance with the modern papacy. It was the late Pope John Paul II who once said…
David Quinn
Mary Kenny
Nuala O’Loan
John L. Allen Jr.