Holly Cairns’s bill to amend abortion legislation in the Dáil this week has, obviously, prompted renewed debates about the termination of pregnancy. Leave aside the issue of the three-day ‘reflection period’ before the procedure, quite a few people are unsettled by the statistics: abortion in Ireland has risen from about 3,000 a year pre-2018 to…
As readers of this newspaper may recall, a resource was offered by the Irish Synodal Pathway for use during Lent this year. Baptised and Sent in Lent was presented as a “Reflection Programme” for parishes, schools, individuals and groups. As the title suggests, the resource was related to the previous Irish synodal document Baptised and…
Gary Gordon has been Bishop of Victoria BC since 2014, having been in Whitehorse diocese (covering the Yukon territory and northern British Columbia) for eight years before that. His golden retriever brought its name Takú from a place in his first diocese. Both dog and owner were touched to hear that ‘ag tacú’ in our Irish language…
For years I would meet all kinds of people in ‘The Green Room’ just outside the television studios. It was where BBC guests, were supposed to relax before going on air. I wondered why they called it that because it wasn’t actually green. It turns out this was an old theatre tradition, where walls were…
Last week I had the privilege of addressing the patrons of Catholic schools in Ireland at a gathering organised by the Association of Patrons and Trustees of Catholic Schools at the Marino Institute of Education. I was acutely aware of the responsibility involved in addressing such a gathering and I was conscious that I was…
The political ground beneath Ireland’s abortion debate is shifting, bringing both risks and opportunities, writes Eilís Mulroy In the short term, given the arithmetic and make-up of the Dáil, there is a real possibility of further setbacks for the pro-life side. Pro-abortion advocates will continue to introduce opportunistic and reckless bills aimed at widening abortion…
In Ireland,surrogacy lobbying seems to be at full speed. No less than three surrogacy promotional events were held here within weeks of the passing of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act two years ago which legalises both domestic and international surrogacy. Under the Act both couples and single people can apply to the Assisted Human…
The world was shocked by footage of a 48-year-old French sister being randomly attacked by a stranger in Jerusalem, who then returned to kick her on the ground. The attack took place outside the Cenacle, a site sacred to Jews and Christians, as it is believed to be the burial place of King David and…
In the space of just 10 years the number of Catholic weddings taking place in Ireland has fallen by half. If that is not a sign of the times, it’s hard to know what is. But what exactly is it a sign of? Let’s have a look at the facts and figures before trying to…
Bishop Donal McKeown, who is set to retire, has always made a point of walking the streets of Derry to meet the people. It is a town he has come to love. “There is an energy about Derry,” said the Bishop, “and it is a blessing to be part of that. He was appointed Bishop…
Mary Kenny
Martina Purdy
Eilis Mulroy
Breda O'Brien
David Quinn