Two things especially struck me on my recent visit to Jordan: one was the respect, even reverence, accorded to Christian holy places. And the other was the way in which the Muslim people in Jordan observed their own Ramadan traditions. Fasting Most people my son Ed and I encountered when travelling in this peaceful, stable…

Young people confused about their identity should not be weaponised in an ideological war, writes Michael Kelly   When ideas that people who think of themselves as socially progressive are challenged or questioned, those with a more moderate view are often accused of engaging in so-called ‘culture wars’. Even asking a question can now lead…

Police Scotland’s ‘hate monster’ is coming to gobble up Christians, writes Ian Dunn The key difference between Scotland and Ireland can be expressed as a number: 270. That is how many more hours of sunshine you get annually in the Irish capital compared to Scotland’s largest city. While the Irish bask in being 200 miles…

You might imagine that if Ireland ever introduces a law permitting euthanasia, we need to have a referendum first, like we did with divorce, same-sex marriage and abortion. The issue is of such importance that maybe it should be put to the people, but in fact there is no legal obligation to do so. The…

Catholicism and republicanism have long been uncomfortably intertwined, writes Martina Purdy     For the Irish, the great Christian feast of Easter is somehow fused with the great rebellion of 1916. Patrick Pearse, who wrote the Proclamation, placed the Irish Republic under the protection of “the most High God.” How many Irish politicians would use…

Ireland has regressed when it comes to disability rights, writes Dualta Roughneen The right to health is a fundamental part of human rights and of an understanding of a life with dignity. It is not new. Internationally, it was first articulated in the 1946 Constitution of the World Health Organisation (WHO), whose preamble defines health…

Ireland’s policy for registering stillborn babies is regressive, writes Wendy Grace Hearing of any family who have had a stillborn baby would lead most people, I am sure, to empathise with the unbearable pain of losing a child. Of course, we want to do all we can to support any family in a time of…

Anto Akkara   A watchdog group that monitors violence committed against Christians in India has released a study documenting 161 such crimes in the first 75 days of 2024. These numbers may underestimate the number of crimes and acts of persecution committed against Christians in India, according to AC Michael, a Catholic and coordinator of…

I received an anonymous letter a few weeks ago. I don’t normally read such correspondence but was about halfway through the screed when I realised it was unsigned. The letter was sent to inform me of the death of a priest-colleague, in another part of Ireland. The deceased was a paedophile. He had served time…