‘Decline of traditional family revealed,’ ran the headline in The Times of London last week, describing an official report on the structure of the modern family. The report, led by Dame Rachel de Souza, the English children’s commissioner, found that almost a quarter of British families are headed by a lone parent. And 44% of…

Shannon Campbell The View As I write, I’m in the midst of packing for another wedding. The summer season has been busy this year with weddings and ordinations. Many within my peer group have reached the stage of making lifelong commitments, having discerned how God is calling them to love and serve him. And it’s…

The Pope wants the Church to fulfil the Christian mission to be a peacemaker, writes David Quinn Recently Ukraine’s Foreign Minister summoned the Holy See’s ambassador to Ukraine to appear before him after Pope Francis had angered the Ukrainian authorities by expressing sympathy for Darya Dugina, a political commentator in Russia who had been blown…

Brian McKee Last month saw the Passionist Congregation celebrate the final profession of South Armagh native, Conor Quinn, in the beautiful surroundings of Holy Cross Church, Ardoyne in Belfast. It was in this historic church that Conor first entered the congregation in 2016 following a three-year period of prayer and reflection. Conor’s road to final…

There’s been no focus on supports for women in unplanned pregnancies, writes Eilís Mulroy On Saturday September 17, pro-life advocates will gather at St Stephen’s Green for the Dublin March for Life. This important event takes place during two major turning points in the campaign for the dignity of unborn children, both at home and…

Catholics sometimes lose their minds when a famous figure embraces Christ and that’s neither good for them nor for us, writes Jason Osborne Hollywood actor Shia LaBeouf’s recent interview with Word on Fire’s Bishop Robert Barron, in which he revealed his conversion to Catholicism and embrace of its traditional expression, caused quite a stir both…

We should have a serious debate about the consequences of teenage pregnancy rather than indulging in Catholic bashing, writes Fr Andrew McMahon Sinn Féin’s vice-president Michelle O’Neill gave a lengthy interview to BBC Radio Ulster recently, focusing on her background, personal history and motivation for entering politics. Two aspects of the interview were highlighted in…

The death of former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev at the age of 91 has triggered an avalanche of commentary and tribute around the world, mostly focusing on Gorbachev’s role in the peaceful dissolution of the Soviet system for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. A sidebar to the story that probably deserves…

Junno Arocho Esteves The prophecies and revelations of St Bridget of Sweden, who lived in Rome for nearly 20 years until her death in 1373, were known for their direct reprimands to popes and princes alike, calling for an end to corruption and the start of reform within the Catholic Church. “She was not afraid…