Addressing one of his favourite topics, Pope Francis spoke energetically over Pentecost weekend to huge crowds at the Circus Maximus and at St Peter’s Square of the creative power of the Holy Spirit to unify through diversity, while bringing peace, joy and courage. Following three hours of high-octane praise and testimonies in many languages under…
Category: Opinion
The seamless garment
John of the Cross teaches that within spirituality and morality there are no exempt areas. Simply put, you cannot be a saint or a highly moral person if you allow yourself a moral exemption or two. Thus, I may not allow myself to split off one moral flaw or sinful habit and see it as…
Are children that much in need of stress relief?
Fr Vincent Sherlock “It clears your mind and eases stress”, she told me. She wasn’t alone! Nearly every child in the class had some variant of the stress reliever and mind-clearer in hand as well. They were in a variety of colours and one even glowed in the dark. Thankfully I was in touch enough to…
Going on, ahead…
“I go on ahead to prepare a place for you!” Jesus speaks those words to his disciples on the eve of his death as he sits at table with them and senses their sadness as they grapple with his dying, his going away. His words are meant to console them and give them the assurance…
Irish people value the Angelus
Roger Childs During the nine years I have been in my present role as Genre Head of RTÉ Religious Programmes, the continued broadcasting of Angelus chimes on RTÉ Radio One and RTÉ One television, has been debated a number of times in a number of different settings, from the letters pages of newspapers, to local and national…
Blasphemy is not about insults, but bullying
Dear Editor, I believe your paper’s coverage of the blasphemy question – most recently in your Book Editor’s comments – misses the point (IC 25/05/2017). Blasphemy is not about passing comments on God, or the beliefs people hold about God; these are already explicitly allowed for in our Constitution and the law itself. Rather blasphemy…
Fixating on the past while ignoring the present
“It is vital that the past is excavated and that past abuses are exposed and those who were abused listened to”, writes Michael Kelly This week saw yet another damning report on the failure to protect vulnerable Irish children. Amongst the findings was the fact that children were left in foster homes despite credible evidence…
Inheritance law change will empower older people
“if an older person feels that their sons and daughters haven’t been particularly caring, I think they should be entitled to distribute their worldly goods as they see fit”, writes Mary Kenny I don’t imagine that most of us older people will be rushing off to our solicitors to alter our wills in the wake…
A proposal – not a promise
Plans to give away the St Vincent’s Healthcare Group may need Vatican approval, writes Greg Daly According to the Religious Sisters of Charity, their planned cessation of involvement in the St Vincent’s Healthcare Group has been in the works for two years. For all that their plan has been widely praised as a noble, elegant…
Sisters of Charity were caught between a rock and a hard place
Society has to decide what the governing ethos of its hospitals should be, writes David Quinn News that the Sisters of Charity are ending their involvement with the St Vincent’s Healthcare Group (SVHG), and therefore with the three hospitals that come under the group, is very sad. In retrospect, the sisters should never have let…