Editor’s Comment There are few things that test faith as much as suffering and the presence of evil in the world. The Christian tradition has always recognised the reality of evil as a profound temptation against the Gospel message. The world we live in often seems very far from the one promised us by Faith.…
Category: Opinion
Outrageous Women’s Council receives vast sums from taxpayer
Dear Editor, It was good to read Michael Kelly’s article [The Irish Catholic – February 17, 2022] on the Women’s Council of Ireland and his pointing out that it is a long time since the Women’s Council – which claims a fortune of taxpayer’s money to lobby on behalf of women – has even pretended…
Boffin says it’s goodbye to the handshake tradition
I thought that the “handshake of peace”, which we used to exchange in pre-Covid times, was a lovely gesture during Mass. It was friendly, linking people together, and an expression of community. It was also egalitarian. You shook hands with whoever happened to be next to you in the pew, and, in busy city churches,…
We have to find new, creative ways of connecting with people
Shannon Campbell The View The scrapping of the television licence fee is a threat that looms ever large over the BBC. Those in favour of the public defunding argue that it is a cold house for a diversity of views and opinions, often not reflective of the mood of the general populous. To be fair,…
Crippling cost of living for young couples
The soaring cost of living is pushing a home and a family out of reach for many young couples, writes Jason Osborne Ireland’s soaring cost of living has been at the centre of the nation’s attention for the past few weeks now, with the Government seeing fit to unveil a €300 million support package in…
The case for organised religion
Organised religion is a net force for good in the world, writes David Quinn The Oxford Union is regarded as the most prestigious university debating society in the world. Last week, the proposition for debate was, ‘This House would move beyond organised religion’. One of the speakers opposed to the motion was the Catholic archbishop…
Pope’s use of authority becomes new front in Vatican ‘trial of the century’
As the dust began to settle last year on the Vatican’s troubled $400 million dollar land deal in London, and as the colossal dimensions of the failure it represents became clear, Pope Francis was determined to put someone on trial, including his former chief of staff, Italian Cardinal Becciu, along with nine other defendants. Yet,…
The perfect ritual
Sometimes it takes an outsider to help you to see the beauty and depth of something you have never fully appreciated. I suspect this true for many of us, myself no exception, regarding the celebration of the Eucharist in our churches. David P. Gushee, an Evangelical, recently published a book entitled After Evangelicalism, within which…
Human rights advocate says Church has kept hope in Venezuela
Rhina Guidos The load of worries carried on the shoulders of José Gregorio Guarenas, coordinator of Human Rights for the Vicariate of Caracas at the Archdiocese of Venezuela, is heavy. His work doesn’t solely focus on concerns affecting the life of members of the Catholic Church, such as recent cases of nuns facing obstacles in…
A new beginning after two difficult years
Notebook Can I begin this month by sharing a brain teaser liberally mixed in with a fair amount of name-dropping. Last week I celebrated Mass in four different countries. However in all four countries the congregation was made up of pretty much the same people, the choir consisted of a list of Irish household names…

Michael Kelly


Mary Kenny


David Quinn
John L. Allen Jr.
Fr Ronald Rolheiser

