For almost 60 years a British journalist, Alistair Cooke had a weekly show on BBC Radio 4 called Letter from America looking at various topics from an American perspective. I feel a little like that this month as I’m writing this piece while sitting in a café just across the street from the White House.…
Dear Editor, I am delighted with the news that the cause of seven Columban priests who served in Korea has been sent to the Vatican for approval opening the way for their eventual sainthood [The Irish Catholic – July 28, 2022]. I wish to point out that there are 17 other Columban martyrs including one…
Editor’s Comment After the reforms of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) great emphasis was placed on the restoration of the ancient order of the permanent diaconate. For many centuries, diaconate had been seen as just one more stop on the road to priesthood. The Church wanted to restore the tradition of the early Church where…
It’s just gone 25 years since the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and it was interesting to see, in one of the television documentaries shown about her life, a statuette of Jesus on her desk: she had draped a set rosary beads around the figurine. Marking the anniversary, her biographer Andrew Morton has…
Pope Francis should appoint more cardinals from areas where Catholicism is growing rapidly, writes David Quinn Ireland has no cardinal of voting age, and given that Pope Francis is now 86 and in visibly declining health, it will probably mean that the Church in Ireland won’t have a representative at the conclave that will one…
Far from being oppressive, understanding sin and its effects points the way to liberation and freedom, writes Jason Osborne An old clip of a prominent Irish priest recently went viral online, in which he lamented the fact that young priests talk about sin. Far from being an isolated sentiment, I’ve encountered a number of Catholics…
Pope Francis August 27 created 20 new cardinals, including 16 under the age of 80 and thus eligible to vote for the next pope. It was Francis’s eighth consistory, and whenever we get a new crop of Princes of the Church, several chronic misconceptions tend to head once more unto the breach. Herewith, three conceptual…
A wise old Augustinian priest once shared this in class. There are days in my life when everything from the pressures of my work, to tiredness, to depression, to distraction, to flat-out laziness make it difficult for me to pray. But, no matter what, I always try to pray at least one sincere, focused Our…
I write these lines in advance of a class reunion in St Nathy’s College, Ballaghaderreen. It will see former pupils and classmates, who sat the leaving cert in 1981, gather to mark the 40 years that have passed since those June days The intention was to have this gathering in 2021 but, like lots of…
Dear Editor, I was touched by the story of Tommy in the column by Fr Martin Delaney [The Irish Catholic – August 11, 2022]. It reminded me of a poem which I shall share at the end and of the Prodigal Son experiencing the love of his father through his father’s tears and warm embrace…
Michael Kelly
Mary Kenny
David Quinn
John L. Allen Jr.
Fr Ronald Rolheiser