The View Last year, then Minister for Health, Simon Harris – a man with a commitment to making abortion easily available – said that the abortion pill could be prescribed remotely during the Covid-19 crisis. Previously, the HSE had said that pregnant women needed to attend a pre-abortion consultation in a surgery or clinic. When this…
Frank Browne Many of our parishes across the country have been busy undertaking Confirmation ceremonies for all those young people who have been waiting for up to two years. Our parish ministry team in Ballyroan thought about how we could make the sacramental preparation meetings and ceremonies both meaningful and an enjoyable experience for our…
The pandemic and ensuing restrictions continue to cast a long shadow on Dublin diocese finances, but a big sale proves lucrative, writes Jason Osborne The archdiocese of Dublin’s 2020 financial report details a continued fall in the diocese’s finances over the last year, a trend accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions put in…
The launch of The Scottish Catholic heralds a rebirth of Catholic journalistic integrity and ethos in Scotland, hears Jason Osborne The pandemic took a toll on all aspects of the Church and Church-related life, Catholic media being no different. In Scotland, the combined difficulties of the pandemic and ensuing restrictions saw the closure of the…
For many years, I have taken part in debates about the family. In all that time, I have focused on the importance of both mothers and fathers being closely involved in the raising of their children. It is why I have always argued for the importance of marriage, because marriage has evolved in practically all…
Letter from Rome After South Korean President Moon Jae-in invited Pope Francis to visit North Korea, a prominent archbishop indicated that the Vatican is working to foster conditions in which a papal visit to the Asian nation is possible. Archbishop Lazarus You Heung-sik, prefect for the Vatican Congregation for Clergy and who is originally from…
In a recent book, Living Between Worlds, James Hollis offers a piece of wit that carries more depth than is first evident. A therapist says to a client, “I cannot solve your problem, but I can give you a more compelling story for your misery”. That’s more than a wisecrack. Whether we feel good or…
Notebook I spent four days on retreat last month. I wasn’t alone. The retreat was organised by our diocese (Cork and Ross) and most of us who were able went along. Our retreat took place outside the diocese, so we had to cancel weekday Masses in our 68 parishes. This wasn’t universally popular; it seems…
Katharine Birbalsingh is a renowned British educator and headmistress of a school she founded: she is reckoned to be among the 20 most influential individuals in British education, and was recently appointed chairwoman of the Social Mobility Commission. There was a storm of protest, and others who served on the Social Mobility Commission rejected Ms…
The View Pope Francis, meditating recently on the problematic history of Latin America including his own country of Argentina in its evolution over the past 500 years, and especially the treatment of native peoples, ran into criticism from Spanish conservatives. They hold that Spain gave Latin America (except Brazil) its language and Catholic religion, and…
David Quinn
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Mary Kenny