Michael Sanfey   In a lecture delivered last month at the European University Institute in Florence, European Central Bank Executive Board member Isabel Schnabel referenced the importance of ‘creative destruction’, a concept associated with the Austrian political economist Joseph Schumpeter. It means that in a well-functioning system, productivity is boosted by the exit of inefficient…

In a recent edition of The Irish Catholic, David Quinn pondered “Where the next Easter might come from” and wrote: “We might eventually have a social revolution, one that will point us once more in a pro-life, pro-family and very possibly a pro-religion and pro-Christianity direction again” [The Irish Catholic – March 28, 2024]. Here is…

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…