Motherhood – the relationship between a woman and her child – is one of the most basic realities of human existence. It transcends cultures, time, and geography. Artists in the western tradition have returned time and again to that most familiar and iconic image: that of the Madonna and Child. So accustomed are we to…

After centuries of religious sectarianism, Scottish Catholics have taken an unlikely fancy to the deeply Presbyterian Kate Forbes. Ian Dunn explains the shift. Scottish politics is a shambles. A decade on from losing a historic referendum on independence, the Scottish Nationalist Party remains in charge of the devolved government in Edinburgh. A decade of scandals,…

There is a contradiction at the heart of much Catholic discourse over the future of the Church – and faith. Or so it seems to me. The experience of synodality indicates that we must face a future in which there is more involvement by the laity, and less “clericalism”. There is much criticism of times…

Immigration and asylum-seeking continue to be two of the biggest issues now that concern Irish voters. They are not far below housing. At the last election in early 2020 they barely featured at all. But perhaps that is because in 2019, the relatively small number of 4,781 people claimed asylum here, compared with over 13,000…

Letter from Florence Micheal Sanfey A leading art expert friend of mine – speaking with a degree of Roman hauteur – declared that while she sometimes needed to be in Venice, she didn’t need to be in Florence. Quite frankly she just didn’t seem to like Florence very much, if at all. Scrambling for examples…

In the run up to the upcoming local elections and the next general election, a significant number of sitting TDs and local councillors have announced that they will not be running again. Many of them were Catholic. Who will replace them? Probably candidates who are less Catholic or not Catholic at all. If we don’t…

If you were to boil down the vision for a renewed ‘synodal’ Church in Ireland to one key aim, it would be listening. True listening means treating each person as an individual beloved by God, who has called each by name. That may sound pious, but it requires courage as well as humility, particularly when…

The recently installed Bishop of Down and Connor will no doubt face some tough, unpopular decisions as his diocese faces a dearth of priests and decreasing Mass attendance – much the same as dioceses across Ireland. Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ, who was installed last month after serving as Bishop of Raphoe for almost seven years,…

In my secondary school, we had a lovely English teacher called Sr Anna. To my 16-year-old self, Sr Anna, with grey wisps and translucent skin against a black veil, seemed at least 70. She was feisty though. And she was concerned for our teenage souls, often lacing our literary discussions with debates on morality. Except…