Fr John Harris OP During the last week I have been remembering the times I met with Cardinal Ratzinger when I was studying in Rome. I never met him after his election as pope. Back in November 1993 I wrote a letter to an Irish national newspaper, when an article in that paper had described…

It is 50 years since Ireland joined the European Union – then called the European Economic Community, (EEC) and subsequently, just the European Community (EC). I remember it because I was reporting from Brussels at the time, and fireworks and parties were laid on for the accession of Ireland, Britain and Denmark. Key role But…

In an age when so many seek safety in groupthink, Pope Benedict was never afraid to offer a contrasting point of view, writes Prof. Francis Campbell There is an image I will always recall when I think of Benedict XVI. It was a side view of him as he spoke. Beyond him, watching him intently,…

In December, a group of doctors, nurses and midwives wrote an open letter to Minister Stephen Donnelly ‘strongly urging’ him to keep the 3-day waiting period before a woman undergoes an abortion. It was a significant statement for several reasons. Firstly, it was timely, in that the Government is supposed to be conducting a review of the abortion…

In the long run, Pope Benedict will be remembered as one of the greatest theologians of the modern period, writes Fr D. Vincent Twomey SVD As doctoral student of Joseph Ratzinger from 1971 to 1978, it was my privilege to come to know one of the greatest theologians of our time. Like most of his…

Pope Benedict had been well and truly reduced to a caricature, but what we really had was a humble, courteous and holy man, writes David Quinn After Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope in 2005, it was eagerly anticipated by some, and feared by others, that he would begin a new crackdown on theological dissent within…

Probably the single most commonly asked question this week in casual conversation, in lines at grocery store lines and post offices, in telephone calls and messages on WhatsApp, and pretty much everywhere else humans interact, is some version of the following: “So, how was your Christmas?” For most of us, answering that question requires a…

Letter from USA Fr Paul Seil experienced a Christmas unlike any other in his 67 years of life in Buffalo, New York. In the midst of the multiday blizzard that paralysed parts of western New York, Fr Seil, chaplain for the Buffalo Fire Department, had to evacuate the rectory at his parish in the city’s…

Dear 2023, A few years ago, I wrote a letter to your older sister, 2020! I wondered what she had in store for us and hoped that we might be able handle whatever she had to offer. I wondered about the months she held in her hand and what they might bring. I asked her…

Many sad things happened in 2022 and there are many glum predictions for 2023, but there’s always something to be grateful for. And the re-opening of Dublin’s Leopardstown Races on St Stephen’s Day – first time since 2019 – cheered me up. Ecumenical agent I’m a great supporter of the horse as ecumenical agent: throughout…