ROME: A Catholic cleric around 60 gets a major Vatican gig, where, among other things, he issues controversial pronouncements on sexual morality. At a certain point, it’s revealed that years before, he wrote a book in which he dealt with sexually explicit topics such as orgasms, creating scandal among sensitive souls who believe it’s inappropriate…
The Catholic Difference George Weigel In the apostolic letter Ad Theologiam Promovendam (To Promote Theology), issued by Pope Francis on Nov. 1, 2023, the Church was urged to do theology contextually: as the motu proprio put it, theology must be “fundamentally contextual…capable of reading and interpreting the Gospel in the conditions in which men and…
Jacques Delors was sometimes called “the Father of the Euro” – he successfully promoted the single currency (which marks its 25th birthday this year.) This week, President Macron will perform a national ceremony in Paris to honour M. Delors, who died recently aged 98. Influential He was a hugely influential personality as President of the…
Many European countries ban both commercial and non-commercial surrogacy for very good reasons, writes David Quinn Successive governments have been planning legislation to regulate the area of Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR), which cover techniques like In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). It looked as though such a law would finally be passed sometime earlier in the life…
For the past several months, an Oireachtas Committee looking at Assisted Suicide has been hearing from expert and other witnesses in regard to the medical, political, social and ethical issues around the frankly disturbing concept of killing another person under the guise of compassion. One of the members of the Committee, Gino Kenny, who is…
Carol Glatz All forms of artificial intelligence should be used to alleviate human suffering, promote integral development and help end wars and conflicts, not increase inequality and injustice in the world, Pope Francis said in his message for World Peace Day 2024. “Artificial intelligence ought to serve our best human potential and our highest aspirations,…
Cindy Wooden Pope Francis’ 2023 was a year of important trips made or postponed, a predecessor’s funeral and his own 10th anniversary as Pope, a call to the world to act on climate change and a call to the Church to strengthen its mission by learning “synodality”. The Argentine pope, who was born on December…
Pope Francis revealed his intention to be buried at Rome’s Basilica of St Mary Major, reflecting his intense personal devotion to Mary and the famed icon of Salus Populi Romani contained in its Borghese chapel. Francis thus will become the sixth pontiff to be interred in the basilica, joining Pius V, Sixtus V, Paul V, Clement IX…
Jonathan Luxmoore As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is celebrating its 75th birthday, the Vatican’s Permanent Representative in Geneva, Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, organised a symposium that aimed to focus on both human rights and care for creation. The December 8 symposium, co-sponsored by the Sovereign Order of Malta, Caritas in Veritate Foundation, and the…
I had known that the parish church in Tubbercurry turned 90 in 2023. I wasn’t sure of the date but had mentioned it at a pastoral council meeting and thought we should mark the event as the year was coming to a close. I called Bishop Paul and asked if he might be free to…
John L. Allen Jr.
George Weigel
Mary Kenny
David Quinn