The visit of Pope Francis this August will be a tremendous moment of grace for the Church in Ireland. It’s the first papal visit since the historic trip of St John Paul II in 1979 and only the second time that a Bishop of Rome has set foot on Irish soil. Speaking at the ancient…
We’ve become depressingly familiar with using terms like ‘dark chapter’ to reflect on certain periods of Irish history – particularly the 20th Century. You’d be forgiven for thinking that until the last few years, the story of the Irish State was one solely of darkness and misery. True, the past wasn’t all great – but…
In the Bible, the whole of salvation history is one crisis after another: expulsion from Paradise, the destruction of Babel, the Flood, exiles, and the obliteration of the monarchy. The history of the Israelites in the Old Testament – God’s Chosen People – is a story of being stripped of everything that they believed gave them…
Theologians and those who reflect on religion and culture often ponder to what extent Catholicism was actually ever deeply embedded in the Irish psyche. This is not an issue about religious practice or the dominant position of the Church in Irish society. Fr Oliver Rafferty SJ has observed that during the 1950s – thought by…
The decision that Irish people are being asked to make on May 25 is one of epic proportion. Never before in the history of this State have people been asked whether or not they want to vote the fundamental right to life of one particular group out of constitutional existence. Bunreacht na hÉireann is not…
The foray into the abortion debate of the leadership of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) at the weekend is a puzzling one. I emphasise the leadership element to the intervention since I’ve been contacted by several priests this week who are members of the ACP but deeply annoyed at the statement and the obvious…
Pope Francis often chides Christians who are “stingy” with God’s mercy, preferring instead to preach a Christianity that is burdensome. The Pope is certainly not stingy with mercy, nor is he stingy with his time. He devoted several hours to listening individually to survivors of clerical sexual abuse at the Vatican last week. But, it…
Ireland’s educational infrastructure is in deep trouble. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the biggest single issue facing schools is the teaching of religion. Minister for Education Richard Bruton has latched on to the issue of the place of Faith in education as a convenient diversion from the real issues facing pupils and teachers on…
Senator Catherine Noone is the Fine Gael politician who chaired the Oireachtas committee on abortion. She has been described in the Irish Independent as having a “colourful career”. As well as her advocacy for abortion, Ms Noone has taken up causes as diverse as the regulation of ice cream vans and expressed her disappointment that…
Announcements of Papal visits are supposed to be moments of unbridled joy. But, the news that Pope Francis is to come to Ireland in August is somewhat tinged with sadness and disappointment. Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown speaks for many when he articulates the disappointment felt about how organisers of the Pope’s trip have decided…
Michael Kelly