Europe’s bishops have voiced support for the European Union’s future enlargement plans, saying it provides a unique opportunity to showcase the value of fraternity, but they also cautioned against the imposition of ideology and the pursuit of particular interests. In a statement issued during their April 17-19 spring plenary assembly in Łomza, Poland, the Commission…
The latest round of Irish diocesan submissions to the global Synodal Pathway renewed an urgent call for formation – adult formation, youth formation, seminary formation, formation across the board! Without formation it will be practically impossible to embed synodality or co-responsibility in the Church in Ireland, because nobody knows what exactly they mean, dioceses told…
I became a priest in 1984, 40 years ago this year. In that year, 44 of us were ordained after studies at Maynooth. By my reckoning, 20 of us still serve in active ministry in this country. Many classmates have met up every year since for a reunion, each organised in a different part of…
What is ‘the far right’ in the political – or social – sphere? We hear this phrase from various authorities, but when the admirable Senator Sharon Keogan asked Justice Minister Helen McEntee for a definition, the minister dithered over her response. She was “not sure there is a definition,” said Ms McEntee. It was, she…
Questions are asked openly about the future of the Church. It is said that it is in terminal decline.They have said this for centuries. Yet still it continues to grow. It was most unlikely, given the might of the Roman empire and the power relationships existing in the Holy Land at the time of Christ,…
Senator Rónán Mullen It’s a big year, electorally speaking. We’ve already had two referendums that proved revealing. We’ll have the local and European elections on June 7. And Taoiseach Simon Harris may yet go to the country this October – if this Government’s last budget is, as expected, of the giveaway variety, then Harris…
The tech giant has a surprisingly long history of suppressing Catholic speech, writes Ian Dunn Facebook may not be the trendiest platform, but it remains incredibly popular. Every month, more than 3 billion people log in. The company’s grand mission statement is “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer…
Reform isn’t enough to improve the UN Security Council, writes Michael Sanfey Earlier this month the British Foreign Secretary and his French counterpart co- authored an op-ed celebrating the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, a diplomatic agreement between the United Kingdom and France. “We have helped to forge a better world,” they wrote in…
Three really important elections are set to take place in the coming months – the local and European elections in early June, and a General Election sometime this year or early next year, at the latest. All three elections will determine who represents us for the next five years. It’s why from a pro-life standpoint…
War in Gaza has become a “way of life”, according to a Franciscan priest in the Holy Land. On Tuesday, Israel sent tanks to parts of the northern Gaza Strip, while warplanes conducted strikes on Rafah in the south of the territory, killing and wounding several people, according two local officials. The Israeli offensive in…
Mary Kenny
Nuala O’Loan
Ian Dunn
Eilis Mulroy