‘Better to light a candle than curse the darkness’ Dear Editor, Fr Donal Dorr’s encouraging letter of June 18 urging the forthcoming synodal gathering to look outwards as well as inwards prompts the thought: what a wonderful life-enhancing place the Irish Church could be if we were all to fully embrace synodality in the manner…
Should the synod be looking outwards as well as inwards? Dear Editor, Like the editor of The Irish Catholic, I feel concerned about the list of topics chosen for discussion at the forthcoming synodal gathering. But my concern is that practically all of the topics proposed, and also the list of topics which the editor…
Synod asks for lived experiences without listening to the answers Dear Editor, After twenty years within the Irish Catholic Church — and the equivalent time within the German Catholic Church — I have lost hope in many ways. The further I can move away from institutional Church life, the happier I think I am. After…
I arrived in Canada in mid-January. A few days later, I headed to a government office to get my first monthly Senior Bus Pass. I went armed with evidence that I was eligible; passport, driving licence, every proof I could think of. The assistant didn’t look at any of my IDs but proceeded to issue…
Towards a truly universal ‘zero tolerance’ of family abuse Dear Editor, The recent correspondence regarding the complexities of the Irish family law system, alongside comments from various public representatives and legal professionals, invites a necessary reflection on the nature of abuse and our collective duty to protect children. While the pain expressed by mothers who…
There are times when the challenges of daily life sadden and discourage us, even when we are doing our very best to serve and help the needy. Many believers find encouragement in the inspiring words of Jesus of Nazareth. He said to not lose heart, but to have a stronger conviction that trying your best…
Disengagement and discomfort: what national surveys on education really illuminate Dear Editor, Much has been made of the headline claim that a majority wish to retain the current school ethos. Yet a closer reading of the national survey tells a rather different—and more uncomfortable—story. Within denominational schools themselves, around 40% of parents expressed a preference…
‘The New Evangelisation’ in Ireland Dear Editor, I write to comment on Pedro Esteva’s interesting article on new style formation for student priests at Maynooth (The Irish Catholic, April 2). There are many excellent ideas in the article; e.g. that formation should include such topics as parish finances, communication and team building, collaborative leadership and…
Who threatens freedom of the press? Dear Editor, Michael Sanfey’s most informative report on the recent European conference of journalism and media freedom quotes one of the participants as warning against the influence that readers can exert on the media, thus compromising freedom of speech. The speaker offered as an example the fact that The…
Apologetics: the missing dimension of evangelisation Dear Editor, One necessary dimension of evangelisation seems absent from the articles of Fr Eamonn Conway and Fr Billy Swan in The Irish Catholic (March 12) – that of apologetics. Two scenarios indicate its necessity. Firstly, one quotation from Nicholas Cuddihy’s article (p. 17) concerning schools designated as Catholic:…