Every day, since April 15, the French media – as well as philosophers and commentators – have been reflecting on the question of how the inferno at Notre Dame is a reminder of how precious the cathedral is, and how it links France today with France’s past and its Catholic culture. Every king of France…

The View   Easter for me is a time of great mystery. This Easter Week I find myself reflecting on all that we experienced doing those brief three days. Now we celebrate the Resurrection, but, for all of us, as we carry on through life’s journey, the carrying of the cross continues and will continue,…

The latest Tuam interim report invites a host of questions, writes David Quinn   The latest interim report by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was issued last week. This new report is concerned mainly with finding out what happened to the dead infants and children in the various institutions under investigation.…

Letter from Rome Elise Harris   For pilgrims flocking to Rome’s famed Scala Santa last week as they commemorate Jesus’ crucifixion and death and ultimately his Resurrection, the opportunity to climb the famed relic on bare marble for the first time in 300 years is something many said has brought them closer to God. Giuliana Saginario said:…

Claire
 Giangravè   Even as Holy Week unfolded, historians and experts in monument restoration weighed in on the implications and repercussions of the blaze that nearly destroyed the iconic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on last week. Regardless of the time, money and resources needed to bring the church back to its splendour, they all shared…

I can hear it now! A question in a table quiz, 50 years from now: “Which animal is associated with both the first horse since Red Rum to win back to back Grand Nationals and the greatest comeback in golfing history on two consecutive weekends during April 2019?” As I watched Tiger Woods’ extraordinary victory…

Pope Emeritus Benedict has met with some criticism and mockery on social media for writing, in a Bavarian journal, that the sexual revolution of the 1960s was one of the causes of the clerical abuse scandals – ushering in a general ‘collapse’ in morality. I lived through this period of the 1960s – in the…

RTÉ documentary came from a strange place, writes David Quinn   It is hard to know what the point of Rome v Republic was. The programme aired last week on RTÉ and was presented by former Justice Minister Michael McDowell. It repeated talking points about the Church and its relationship to Irish society and the…

The View   Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has published an essay commenting on the sex abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church for some time. The former Pope broke his usual silence in order, in his own words, “to contribute one or two remarks to assist in this difficult hour”. At the heart of…