Mercy and compassion “Mercy is the true power that can save humanity and the world from sin and evil. Love makes us draw closer to others, it is the soul of faith, it makes faith fruitful. Without love, faith dies. Mercy is the very foundation of the Church’s life; all of her pastoral activity should…
The role of women in the Church is contentious, even among Catholic women. Some believe that women will never be truly equal in the Church unless they are admitted to the ordained priesthood. Some emphasise women’s primary roles within family and parish settings. Others advocate for greater inclusion of women’s voices at all levels of…
When Jorge Mario Bergoglio first appeared on the balcony of St Peter’s in March, 2013, we knew we were going to be dealing with a different style of papacy. He appeared before the world in simple white, rather than the more ornate vestments of his predecessors and gave the crowd below a simple wave. He…
Pope Francis’s passing comes during the 10th anniversary of the publication of his groundbreaking encyclical Laudato Si’ – On Care for our Common Home – which examined Catholic environmental teaching in the light of today’s planetary crisis. Over the past 10 years, Pope Francis’s leadership has borne initiatives that have transformed the Catholic Church into…
The election of Pope Francis on March 13, 2013, following the unprecedented retirement of the scholarly, gentle, spiritual Pope Benedict came as a huge surprise to many of us. In my lifetime there have been seven popes: Pius XII, St John XXIII, St Paul VI, St John Paul I, St John Paul II, Benedict XVI…
When Karol Wojtyla was elected Pope in 1978 taking the name John Paul II, he joked with the Roman crowd that the cardinals had called him da un paese lontano – from a faraway country. After all, the Archbishop of Krakow had come from behind the ‘iron curtain’ and was the first non-Italian Pope since…
Among the vast corpus of Pope Francis’ encyclicals, apostolic exhortations, letters and homilies, there are many inspiring and memorable quotations that he left us as part of his spiritual and pastoral legacy. One quote I believe will be remembered for many years to come and will guide the Church’s self-understanding and mission long into the…
Throughout the Troubles, when buses were being burned or hijacked in Belfast, the Black taxi became a popular way of getting in and out of town. Men, women and children from the west of the city, often five or six at a time, would pile into the back seats, prams in the boot, and fly…
A major new survey from Britain shows there is a mini-religious revival underway in that country. For the first time since anyone can remember, the survey shows that the number of young people attending church on a regular basis, that is, monthly or more, is on the increase. This challenges the long-standing idea that eventually…
My colleague was not impressed with my attacks on Church authorities, as he saw it. “Isn’t it bad enough that you’re having a go at our poor bishops,” said he, “without taking potshots at the Holy Father as well.” He had read my musings on Rome’s appointment of non-local priests to dioceses and was not…
Breda O'Brien
David Quinn
Nuala O’Loan
Michael Kelly
Martina Purdy