Fr Bernard Cotter “You’re getting very big in yourself”, said the senior cleric to me, a few years after I was ordained. I had been out in the car, and so had he, and he waved at me and I hadn’t waved back. So he was letting on to be offended: I had a “big…

Many aspects of a united Ireland are being currently discussed – and rightly so. What will the impact be on the economy, the health service, education? And how might we salute flags, anthems, and other symbols? And what about the role of faith in a reunited Ireland?” Shall we use kilometres or miles (or a…

Governments and sporting organisations must ensure equal participation and access to sport for all children, not just the able bodied, Gerard Gallagher hears Recently an international summit on sport was held in the Vatican under the theme ‘Sport for All’, September 29-30. Pope Francis addressed the attendees and spoke of “promoting the notion of sport…

Sixty years on from the Cuban Missile Crisis, Pope’s plea for cool heads is timely, writes David Quinn It is 60 years ago this month since the Cuban missile crisis, which brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Older readers will remember the events of those fateful few weeks well. When the Cold…

Missionaries and religious have launched a five-year plan to future proof religious life, writes Ruadhán Jones ‘A future with hope’ – this is the title of a new five-year plan launched last week that aims to chart the future for religious and missionary life in Ireland. It comes at a time when the majority of Irish…

Letter from Rome Life, as the famous John Lennon saying goes, is what happens while you’re making other plans. In a similar fashion, we might say that news is what happens while you’re paying attention to something else. This summer, Catholic chatter was dominated by ultimately baseless rumours that Pope Francis was about to resign.…

Notebook Next year in both parishes I now have responsibility for, we will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. That means that eight different 5th and 6th classes in four schools are eligible to celebrate the Sacrament. In recent weeks I have been visiting those classes to begin a conversation around Confirmation. One thing that I…

It seems, according to the celebrity reports that are part of our lives these days, that Mrs Victoria Beckham, familiarly known as ‘Posh’ (from her days with The Spice Girls), is experiencing the strains of being a mother-in-law. Sumptuous wedding Her eldest son Brooklyn married a beautiful young American heiress, Nicola Peltz, and, at the…