Notebook   I was at a social event recently with some high-powered academics. I mentioned at a certain point that a lot of my research and teaching centres on the theology of St Thomas Aquinas, and half the group gave me a blank look: “Who?” I’m sure the readers of The Irish Catholic don’t need…

I had my first hip replacement surgery when I was in my 40s – the youngest person in the hospital to have had that particular operation. It arose from a congenital joint defect I’d been born with, but had gone undetected, except for an increasing limp through my adult years. I was warned that a second…

I have a confession to make: I once voted for Fine Gael. There, I said it. It is a long time since I have seen the error of my ways, but the events of the past week provide yet another depressing reminder of that party’s insistence upon stifling conformity. The President of Young Fine Gael (YFG),…

Liberal Ireland is working hard to find enemies, writes John McGuirk   Something happened last week that was extraordinary, but before I talk about it, it is necessary to remind ourselves of a few things about the country that we live in. Let us start with the fact that four short years ago, Ireland became…

Too often a secular mindset is brought to bear upon the funeral which compromises the sacred character of the event writes David Quinn   Three years ago, the Vatican issued a document reiterating that Catholics should not scatter the cremated ashes of their loved ones or keep them in an urn at home. The Congregation…

Letter from Nigeria   An embattled Catholic diocese in southeastern Nigeria facing a mounting wave of violent attacks from Islamic militias has declared “enough is enough”, demanding that “bad” members of the largely Muslim Fulani tribe be “flushed out” of the area and that local self-protection groups be armed to provide their own security. Bishop…

Following the announcement that the cause for sainthood for celebrated writer Gilbert Keith Chesterton would not go forward in his home diocese, Dale Ahlquist, an expert on the author, said this stall “points to the difficulty of getting a layperson canonised”. Ahlquist noted one reason given for halting Chesterton’s cause was that the author, considered…

Notebook Fr Bernard Healy   One drawback of Pope Francis’s pungent criticisms of the failings of clergy is the accusation that he is more inclined to criticise priests than encourage. In fairness to the Holy Father, it’s hardly his fault that his more colourful sayings make bigger headlines than the many positive things he has…