The View Martin Mansergh We live in a world where moral authority often seems to be scarce or diminished, and largely unheeded. One or two issues can dominate and distract attention from others. While practical considerations are always important, the ethical dimension has also to be weighed in the balance. It is paradoxical that…
Christopher White A new report by one of the nation’s leading organisations promoting best practices in leadership within the Catholic Church chronicles the “twin crises” within the Catholic Church, that of sexual abuse and its cover-up. The report, released on Friday by Leadership Roundtable, comes just days after Pope Francis’s historic meeting with the…
The conviction for abuse of a top Vatican cardinal looks highly suspicious, writes Greg Daly “What a load of garbage, and falsehood, and deranged falsehood,” Cardinal George Pell had retorted when questioned by police about allegations that he had sexually assaulted two 13-year-old choirboys in 1996. It’s the kind of brash, blunt comment for…
A colleague of mine, a clinical therapist, shares this story: a woman came to him in considerable distress. Her husband had recently died of a heart attack. His death had been sudden and at a most inept time. They’d been happily married for 30 years and, during all those years, had never had a major crisis…
The Notebook Fr Conor McDonough March 8 is International Women’s Day, a day set aside for celebrating the achievements of women and campaigning in favour of equality. Recent years have focussed on celebrating pioneering women scientists and encouraging girls to choose STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) at school and university. Even…
Everything must be experienced – and understood – in context. And the context in which I remember the Birmingham bombings – when 21 mostly young people died in two Birmingham pubs targeted by the Provisional IRA in 1974 – is personal. I had just had a baby who wasn’t, in the first weeks, very well…
The View The recent four-day meeting on child protection in Rome raised very high hopes. It was almost inevitable that some of those hopes would be dashed. The Pope had articulated clearly what he wanted to do. The three themes of responsibility, accountability, and transparency were well chosen – they are key for any…
The Irish health budget comes to some €17 billion per annum. That is an astounding sum of money. We believe we have an underfunded health system, but actually, compared with the size of our population, we spend more on health than most industrialised countries. This is despite the fact that our population is younger on…
Letter from Poland Paulina Guzik During a high-profile summit on clerical sexual abuse that wrapped up at the Vatican at the weekend, the late Pope John Paul II’s response to the scandals has been cited more than once – a surprise for many, perhaps, who thought the Church began taking the issue seriously only…
Claire Giangrave Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans, two infants with degenerative diseases who died once life support was withdrawn, became global cause celebres largely due to outspoken parents raising their voice for what they perceived as the best interest of their child, demanding that every possible avenue be explored to save their lives. But a…
Greg Daly
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Mary Kenny
Nuala O’Loan
David Quinn