Minister for Health Simon Harris is part of a breed of politicians who get into the game at a young age. He has never had a job outside of politics. Before running for election himself, he served as an assistant to Francis Fitzgerald. At the tender age of 25, Mr Harris was elected to the…
‘Adveniat regnum tuum’ we pray in the Our Father – may your kingdom come. It is the heart of all Christian prayer since when the disciples pleaded with Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray”, this is the prayer that he taught them. So, what are we praying for when we recite the Our Father? In…
From a Catholic point of view, politics is always the art of the possible. Since all politics is limited, Catholics do not look to politicians to have the answer to everything. This is why the Church does not endorse any particular political party or political strategy. In the United States, for example, it is common…
Sunday was a tale of two different countries and two very different ceremonies. In London, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II presided at commemorations to mark the centenary of the Armistice that brought an end to World War I (1914-1918). The prayers were led by the female Anglican Bishop of London, Sarah Mullally. In Dublin, meanwhile, Michael…
This week marks the centenary of the Armistice that eventually brought an end to the Great War (1914-1918). It came into effect at 11 am on November 11, 1918 now famously remembered as the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. It was one of the deadliest conflicts in human history with…
We have become all too used to controversy in the Church. Whether it is reactions to the mishandling of clerical sexual abuse or disputes over whether or not divorced and remarried Catholics should receive Holy Communion, division sometimes seems everywhere. While it is important to stand up for what is true and beautiful, it is…
The Holy Land – that place where God chose to be born amongst us – can be said to be a ‘fifth Gospel’ of sorts. It was in that land where the dramatic moments of salvation history were played out right from God’s Covenant with the ancient Israelites to the incarnation, life, death and resurrection…
Ask any Catholic serious about their Faith what the biggest challenge the Church faces is and they will almost universally say a variation of the same thing: reaching out and engaging young people. Often when a priest is assigned to a new parish, he will be met with earnest parishioners who implore him “you’ll have…
In just over three weeks’ time voters will be asked whether or not to delete the reference to blasphemy from the Constitution. It will pass by an overwhelming majority. Only the Islamic community are likely to oppose the move. Catholic bishops have already expressed the view that God can look after himself. In reality, the…
Next month’s Synod of Bishops in Rome will focus on the issue of youth and vocational discernment. Often when we speak of ‘vocation’ in the Church we mean the specific and unique call to priesthood and religious life. This is hugely important and as recent research in this newspaper showed, the situation in terms of…
Michael Kelly