Elise Ann Allen In a scene reminiscent of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 cinematic sensation The Godfather, Italy’s most notorious mob boss was arrested January 16 after 30 years on the run, a development celebrated by civil and ecclesial authorities alike. A fugitive for the past 30 years, infamous Italian mobster Matteo Messina Denaro – tied…
Cindy Wooden Pope Francis’ fifth trip to the African continent will highlight gestures of peace and reconciliation, consoling the victims of violence but also emphasising the importance of each person sowing peace in the family, the neighbourhood and the nation. The Pope is scheduled to travel to Kinshasa, Congo, January 31-February 3 before making an…
My late father, Denis Cotter, was a teacher all his life. As a national teacher, he taught in the classroom for over 40 years, the first 13 years in what was then the new Dublin suburb of Crumlin, and the remainder in a small two-teacher school in Ballinacarriga near Dunmanway in West Cork. He retired…
The death of Pope Benedict on New Year’s Eve gives rise to many possible consequences for the Church. There were stark differences between the papacy of Pope Benedict and Pope Francis, though both based their foundations very solidly on love – the love of God for his people, and both focused on the need for…
To judge by sensationalist newspaper headlines and breathless social media posts, one might assume that the open conflict in Catholicism unleashed by the death of Pope Benedict XVI and fanned by a series of tell-all revelations from his longtime aide, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, would be the talk of the town in Rome — which, after…
Discernment, listening attentively for the voice of God, is not a new concept in our tradition. But it has come in to sharp focus given the synodal journey that Pope Francis has called Catholics to embark upon. It’s no easy task, and part of the challenge is discerning spirits. That is to say, whether what…
America celebrated Martin Luther King Day this past week – and unveiled a new sculptural tribute to the African-American civil rights leader and his wife Coretta, named Embrace. Reactions were mixed to the bronze itself, created by Hank Willis Thomas, which depicted hugs without depicting human faces. But sometimes art has to be controversial or…
We’re no better than the Irish of the past who also preferred to turn away from inconvenient and uncomfortable facts, writes David Quinn Over the Christmas period, the master of the Rotunda Hospital revealed that 95% of parents in Down Syndrome cases choose abortion. The figure is horrific, the revelation stunning, but it caused almost…
Cardinal Pell’s 400 days in tough prisons in solitary can be seen as the best thing that happened to him, writes Fr Brendan Purcell When I was a philosophy lecturer at University College Dublin, our staff Newman group wanted to invite some notable figure or other to give a talk in the millennium year. We…
Building open and welcoming faith communities is seen as key to a vibrant future, writes Michael Kelly Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown has asked people across the 51 parishes to put their shoulder to the wheel and embrace the mission of renewal of the local Church. At the weekend, Bishop McKeown published a pastoral letter…
Nuala O’Loan
John L. Allen Jr.
Michael Kelly
Mary Kenny
David Quinn