The world is better for their presence over the years, writes David Quinn The record of the nuns is under attack again. The latest accusation is one of racism against children of ‘mixed race’ who found themselves in Mother and Baby homes and other Church-run institutions. The last Mother and Baby home closed down several…
Eduardo Campos Lima The search for a new dialogue between black Catholics and the hierarchy is on the agenda with Afro-Brazilian Catholic activists struggling to promote and increase participation of black people in the Church and society. Almost 56% of Brazil’s population has some African descent and, according to a recent survey on religion…
Letter from Rome February 21 marked exactly one year since the anniversary of Pope Francis’ historic summit on the clerical sexual abuse crisis, which brought together presidents of the world’s bishops’ conferences to promote a global culture of transparency and accountability. Coincidentally, the milestone came as the world focuses on a very different kind of…
The renowned spiritual writer Ruth Burrows begins her autobiography with these words: “I was born into this world with a tortured sensitivity. For long I have puzzled over the causes of my psychological anguish.” Unfortunately, to our loss, too many spiritual biographies don’t begin like this, that is, by recognising right at the start the…
Dear Editor, Many people are uncomfortable with clapping during Mass. Cardinal Francis Arinze said: “When we come to Mass, we don’t come to clap. We don’t come to watch people, to admire people. We want to adore God, to thank Him, to ask Him pardon for our sins, and to ask Him for what we…
I’ve just returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Led by Bishop Kevin Doran, 100 Irish pilgrims visited the sites associated with the earthly life of Jesus. It’s always a fascinating and moving experience. As well as the Christian sites, that land is also holy to both Jews and Muslims and understanding this is…
Notebook Every church in Ireland has a box-shaped receptacle, of gold or silver, often decorated with precious jewels. In years past this special container was placed in the centre of the ‘high altar’, but now it’s usually on its own, on a separate column or plinth, with its own spotlight, in its own distinct space,…
I don’t imagine that the elections for the Seanad will deliver as much sound and fury as the General Election for the Dail. Quite rightly too – the Upper House is a secondary chamber which doesn’t govern the country. But it still seems to me to be important, and to bring another dimension to the…
The View I spent some time recently with a group of very fine priests reflecting on their vocations and on their work as priests, work which is centred on sustaining ordinary people like me and you, sometimes in profoundly difficult circumstances, nourishing us and helping us on our journey home to the Lord who made…
Amazonian exhortation points towards Pope’s real aim, writes David Quinn When Humanae Vitae was issued in 1968 by Pope Paul VI, it was greeted with dismay and anger by many people, including practicing Catholics, who expected the Church to relax its previous prohibition against the use of artificial means of birth control by Catholics.…
David Quinn
John L. Allen Jr.
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Michael Kelly
Mary Kenny
Nuala O’Loan