Pope Francis has been to the fore of leadership efforts around the world to highlight the Christian responsibility to reach out and look after those who are fleeing war and violent conflict. For the first time in many years, the continent of Europe is seeing war raging following Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. Every day…
One of the good-natured grumbles I hear from priests about Pope Francis is the quip that it wasn’t the Argentine Pontiff who invented being nice to people. What do they mean when they say this? Well, the fact is that the overwhelming majority of priests – almost to a man, I would say – are…
It’s an Editor’s worst nightmare. A newspaper publishes an article which turns out to have been largely written using artificial intelligence and the accompanying photograph claiming to be the ‘author’ is also a hoax. Just how could The Irish Times get it so wrong and publish an article accusing Irish women interested in fake tan…
Wealthy Catholics in Germany seem set for a collision course with the Vatican, and the rest of the Church over their push to change basic Catholic doctrines and practices. Pope Francis has long warned of the danger of the synodal process being hijacked by elites pushing an agenda. It’s hard to think of a more…
One of the key planks of the Good Friday Agreement, the 25th anniversary of which we celebrate this month, was the idea of parity of esteem. In short, that no identity would be exaggerated in the region at the expense of another. We don’t need to rehearse the history, but the first 50 years or…
Joe Biden’s handlers can hardly have been more pleased about his ‘homecoming’ visit to Ireland. By any measure, the trip was a success and Mr Biden certainly seems to have enjoyed himself. A US-based journalist commenting on the trip pointed out that the crowds who turned out to see Mr Biden outside St Muredach’s Cathedral…
Jerusalem is the only city that exists twice: in both heaven and on earth. It has been described as a ‘city of longing’ and it is to this holy city that our hearts and minds turn as we reflect on the drama of Holy Week and Easter. If you’ve ever visited Jerusalem, and I hope…
When they addressed the continental phase of the synod process in Prague last month, Julieann Moran and Fr Éamonn Fitzgibbon spoke of the “joy expressed by so many who took part in the synodal process, and their hope that it will continue and become embedded in Church structures, is real”. No one can doubt the…
Leave well alone,” a senior Government minister told me not too long ago. It was not advice for me, but hitherto unspoken advice to his colleagues who were very gung-ho on “getting the Church out of schools,” as he put it. Over recent years, he had diagnosed that – despite a vocal minority – there…
Ten years ago, bookmakers Paddy Power asked me to compile their papal election guide ahead of the conclave that would replace Pope Benedict XVI. It was mostly a bit of fun, but punters were in fact betting on who would become the next Bishop of Rome and the bookies naturally wanted some insight. As I…
Michael Kelly