Category: Comment & Analysis

Minister Bruton takes aim at RE once again

Has Education Minister, Richard Bruton, yet said something that is friendly and supportive of the role and place of faith schools in Irish society? Much of the time Minister Bruton sounds like a spokesman for Equate, the pressure group that campaigns against the rights of faith schools in the name of ‘equality’. Minister Bruton gives…

An Irish aversion to friendly advice

Fr Martin Delaney There was an interesting exchange between Rory McElroy and his then caddie JP Fitzgerald during the opening round of this year’s British Open at Royal Birkdale. McElroy had a disastrous start and after six holes he was already five over and facing the humiliation of missing the cut for the third successive…

Our struggle with riches

A number of years ago I attended a funeral. The man to whom we were saying goodbye had enjoyed a full and rich life. He’d reached the age of 90 and was respected for having been both successful and honest. But he’d always been a strong man, a natural leader, a man who took charge…

Are young Catholics drawn towards the Latin Mass?

Peadar Laighléis As long as I can remember, attracting young people to the Church has been a hot topic. There have been many trials: folk Masses, youth festivals and Taizé evenings, for example. None have proved to be a magic bullet. I don’t believe there is a single answer to this problem, but we could…