In the first parish where I served as curate, the retirement of the sacristan was a major event. This man was quite elderly, having served at the church for many years, after retirement from his civil service job. I don’t know what the parish paid him over those years, if anything: I presumed his government…
A relative of mine lost her father – to whom she was especially close – just as she was about to face her Leaving Cert exam. There was no option at the time but to proceed with the exam, despite her grief. She got through with distinction. Possibly, having to do the Leaving Cert gave…
The deconstruction of marriage continues apace, writes David Quinn. The divorce referendum has passed by a margin of 82% to 18%. To put it another way, more than 1.3 million people voted in favour of it and about 300,000 voted against. The turnout was 50%. What exactly did people vote for? In their own…
Elise Harris Pope Francis has offered a shout-out to Chinese Catholics, specifically those who endure “daily trials and tribulations”. Though interpreted as a sign of the Pope’s commitment to his flock in China, the greeting also comes at a time when Francis is facing increased pressure over his recent deal with the government on the…
Críostíona Ní Láimhín A year on, the pro-life movement remains stronger than ever, writes Críostíona Ní Láimhín. From the Government side at least, the cheering that was heard on this May 25, the first anniversary of the referendum that obliterated the pro-life Eighth Amendment, was a far more muted affair. In exchange for the surreal…
The View Martin Mansergh Electoral decisions here as elsewhere help determine how and in what state we will face the world in the time ahead. The loosening of the divorce laws, overwhelmingly approved by the electorate in the face of negligible public debate and muted opposition, is probably the last referendum here for the time…
‘Our differences are not a threat but a treasure’ Jean Vanier, the Founder of L’Arche, who died in Paris on May 7, wrote the words above, but their truth is far from self-evident. One might question whether those words are simply a nice-sounding poetics or whether they contain an actual truth. Our differences, in…
Is there a morality lesson to be drawn from the saga of Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey and her episode on the hotel swing? As is widely known, Ms Bailey sat on an indoor swing in a Dublin hotel, fell backwards and suffered hurt to hips, lower back and head from the fall. In consequence,…
News headlines of late have been dominated by rumblings between the US and Iran, capped by President Donald Trump taking to Twitter to state emphatically: “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran.” In such moments of global tension, the Vatican typically aspires to play the role of a reconciler…
The election of three new councillors for Aontú will give the pro-life party a solid base for the next general election, party leader Peadar Tóibín TD has said. “We’re delighted with the results of the elections,” Mr Tóibín told The Irish Catholic. “In the constituencies we’ve run in, we’ve averaged between 4 and 5% of…
Mary Kenny
David Quinn
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
John L. Allen Jr.
Greg Daly