Dr Toni Pyke Gerard Gallagher On Saturday March 2, a coalition of national and local organisations that form ‘Le Chéile’, organised a ‘Stand Together’ march in Dublin city centre. This was their second such march, seeking solidarity, unity and acceptance of diversity in an increasingly divided Ireland. The march that Saturday wasn’t about any one…

Late last Friday March 22 evening, the Vatican announced that after holding an all-day working session with members of the German bishops, the latter have assured their national reform process will be in keeping with Canon Law and will not move forward without the Holy See’s approval. In a statement published at 8pm local time,…

In the week leading up to St Patrick’s Day two men died. One you have heard a lot about, the other you probably heard nothing about. Neither man knew each other but both had something of a link with our parish in Rathdowney and more importantly both men had been inspired by the legacy of…

One of the problems with ‘assisted dying’ – now under parliamentary discussion in both Ireland and Britain – is the very phrase itself. In truth, a proper opportunity for ‘assisted dying’ can be entirely Christian and supportive. I mean in the sense that a dying person should have someone with them, to calm and care,…

Assisted suicide, and/or euthanasia, now accounts for one in 20 deaths in the Netherlands. This was just one of the many disturbing pieces of evidence presented to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on ‘Assisted Dying’. Today it’s expected the committee will make a recommendation to introduce assisted suicide and euthanasia into Irish legislation. We are meant…

It’s amusing that Govt representatives campaigned for a ‘yes’ and voted ‘no’, but it is corrosive of politics, writes Michael Kelly     You don’t hear much from former Labour leader Pat Rabbitte these days. He left active political life in 2016, with a pension pot of some €2 million. Mr Rabbitte – now aged…

Truth is no longer just the first casualty of war, it is the target, writes Martina Purdy   Three little words, uttered by a politician, echo down the ages: “What is truth?” The question will be posed again at Good Friday services next week, the words of Pontius Pilate – a politician, who gets a…

We might have passed peak anti-Catholicism, writes David Quinn   The bishops played little part in the recent referendums. That was probably wise. They did issue a statement in the closing stages which could be picked up at Masses (if the priest thought to mention it). The statement did not advise people how to vote,…

Pope’s call for courageous negotiations a red flag to critics, writes Dr Michael Sanfey Remarks by Pope Francis during a recent interview with Swiss TV have sparked outrage. As The Pillar reported, Francis was asked about global conflicts and his hopes for peace. The Pope responded “I believe that the stronger one is the one…

Still lack of satisfaction with Church’s response to abuse allegations, writes Ruadhán Jones   The quality of the Church in Ireland’s safeguarding structures and culture has “greatly improved” in the last 10 years, according to a report from the national safeguarding body. “A lot of progress has been made, and plans are in place to…