Pol O Muiri C.S. Lewis, Belfast man and writer, is probably best known for his fiction and his Christian apologetics. His works on Narnia have enthralled children for decades while works like Mere Christianity, have provided solace and guidance for adult readers. Narnia is, of course, a mythical and mysterious place where wondrous and unexpected…
The Moon landing ultimately glorified God, writes David Quinn The first man in space was the Russian Yuri Gagarin in 1961. After he returned to Earth he was reportedly asked if he saw God while he was up there. He apparently replied, “I looked and looked and looked but I didn’t see God”, although…
Letter from the UK Charles Collins Britain’s foreign secretary says the world should use ‘Christophobia’ to describe anti-Christian persecution and said the UK’s efforts to help persecuted Christians around the world has not always “matched the scale of the problem”. Jeremy Hunt was speaking last Monday during the presentation of a report he commissioned…
On hundreds of occasions since the commencement of the new abortion law in January, pro-life activists have chosen to picket venues where abortions are carried out. By and large, these protests have attracted very little media attention. It was something of a surprise, therefore, to see such a protest at Holles Street Hospital hit the…
Inés San Martín Nicaragua and Venezuela are continuing to experience turmoil due to popular opposition to their socialist leadership. Both regimes have been accused by prominent leaders of human rights violations, and international organisations ask their governments to be open to dialogue. Venezuela The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, released…
The problem in the world and in the Churches, Jim Wallis suggests, is that, perennially, conservatives get it wrong and liberals (over-reacting to conservatives) then don’t get it at all. Nowhere is this truer, I believe, than in how we discern the finger of God in the events of our lives. Jesus tells us to…
Notebook Fr Conor McDonough It was heartening to see last week Californian politicians withdrawing legislation that would undermine the Seal of Confession. The bill was opposed by a large, well organised and committed campaign of lay Catholics, but the public face of the campaign was Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles [pictured]. He’s a…
I heard yet another sermon last Sunday in which the priest, speaking about the need for evangelisation, lamented the current shortage of priestly vocations. His sermon was well-constructed – this was in the Dublin diocese – and he spoke well, but he was old, and there was a perceptible note of weariness in his voice. He…
The View Stewardship of the environment is a key Catholic value. Sometimes it is frustratingly hard to implement this value as families and individuals. I am sure that most of us were horrified by the recently published photos of Little Skellig island in Kerry. Gannets are plucking from the sea plastic debris, such as…
John McGuirk An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was at pains last week to distance himself from reports that he was being considered for the top job in the European Union – President of the Commission. Amid reports that he was in line to replace Jean-Claude Juncker, both the Taoiseach and his party seemed very eager…
David Quinn
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Mary Kenny
Breda O'Brien