by Junno Arocho Esteves A series of deadly raids by Israeli authorities in the West Bank and attacks on Jewish civilians in the first month of the new year have made the goal of a lasting peace in the Holy Land seemingly unattainable. The January 26 raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, which…

Notebook Recently I turned on the TV and I happened upon a conversation between two children on a popular soap opera. I was intrigued and disturbed by the tone of the conversation but not fully understanding the context I had to do a little research. It seems that the girl’s pet chinchilla (which I have…

Many religious sisters continue to do quiet and heroic work. Who will take up the challenge when they’re no longer able, asks Ruadhán Jones As we endure yet another winter where our hospitals seem to be in a permanent crisis mode, ask any person of a particular age about the time when religious orders were…

I don’t mean to sound flippant about a mental disorder, but it does rather seem that everyone who is anyone is claiming to have, or has been associated with, the condition known as ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Celebrities who are listed as having ADHD include Justin Timberlake, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, the socialite…

August 15 this year will be the 25th anniversary of the day on which the Omagh bomb exploded killing 29 people and two unborn babies. It was the single biggest incident of the Troubles. It was planted by the Real IRA in the little market town of Omagh as people, including visitors from Ireland and…

Using gendered language for God goes back to Jesus himself, writes David Quinn It was inevitable that one day a concerted effort would be made to introduce gender-neutral language to describe God. It has already been the case in more radical religious circles that the names given to the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity,…

In the summer of 1971, no question before the US Supreme Court was as contentious as the Pentagon Papers case, in which the Nixon administration sought to prevent The New York Times and The Washington Post from publishing a classified report on the Vietnam War. In a 6-3 decision, the court eventually upheld the right…

Cindy Wooden Pope Francis’ visit to Congo and his ecumenical pilgrimage to South Sudan put a face – actually, thousands of faces – on the horror of war. But he also seemed energised by the enthusiasm of the crowds in Kinshasa, Congo, and buoyed by traveling to Juba, South Sudan with Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby…

by John Harris OP Notebook It was the Thursday (February 18) after Ash Wednesday 1858 that the Lady first spoke to Bernadette. On the two previous occasions (February 11 and 14) the Lady had appeared to Bernadette she had said nothing. On this first Thursday of Lent the Lady asked Bernadette to come to the…

The good news about marriage is that it improves health. Mary Johnston, an Irish relationship counsellor, has endorsed studies published by the Universities of Luxembourg, and of Ottawa, which found that people between the ages of 50 and 89 had better health than singletons. Marriage can have the effect of diminishing diabetes – even a…