A new report issued by the Central Statistics Office claims that Irish Protestants live longer than Irish Catholics – comparing 563 Protestant deaths per 100,000 persons as against 660 Catholic deaths. One historian, Dr Ida Milne, attributed this trend to Protestants probably having a thriftier and more frugal lifestyle. Protestants see thrift as a virtue –…
There are prices to be paid for greater social variety, writes David Quinn ‘Diversity’ is the new religion of Ireland. It is one of those words that is never challenged, is constantly promoted and is simply assumed to be a good in itself. Celebrate it, we’re told. ‘Diversity’ is ‘inclusive’. ‘Diversity’ is ‘compassionate’. These…
John McGuirk This week, we found out something that was supposed to be a secret. We were not supposed to know that Google employees manually interfered with search terms to promote some videos on Youtube, and hide others, in the week leading up to last year’s abortion referendum. This was a decision taken internally,…
Letter from Rome Inés San Martín As the Catholic Church in Germany prepares to embark on a synodal process motivated in part by a desire to stop a haemorrhage of faithful, Pope Francis has sent them a letter reminding them they don’t walk alone but with the universal Church. In the missive he also…
Last week, a British appeals court ruled a mentally incapacitated woman would not be forced to have an abortion against her will, overturning the decision made by the country’s Court of Protection. The original decision was met with shock by the country’s Catholic Church and pro-life organisations. Although little is known about the woman’s circumstances, it…
Each year, I write a column sharing with readers the title and a brief synopsis of the 10 books that touched me most that year. Occasionally, however, I judge a book to be exceptional enough to merit its own column. Robert Ellsberg’s new book, A Living Gospel – Reading God’s Story in Holy Lives, is…
Dear Editor, The commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the D-day landings was important not only to remind us of the courage and sacrifice of the previous generation in fighting the evils of Nazism but also to remind us that contending with evil now falls to this generation. There is always something that needs to…
The Notebook Many years ago, my friends Monica Brown and Hilary Musgrave introduced me to the whole experience of sacred clowning. Hilary and Monica lead retreats all over the world and the sacred clown ‘Naofa’ is an integral part of their unique approach to spirituality. Sacred clowning has to be experienced because trying to…
Ireland’s abortion regime makes visible pro-life campaigning all the more vital, writes Niamh Uí Bhriain Voter regret in regard to the abortion referendum is real and it is growing. Every month seems to bring a new and more shocking revelation about Simon Harris’s new abortion regime, and in response come increasing numbers of people…
The View Martin Mansergh Pope Francis’ approval of the Italian bishops’ decision to render more precise the passage in the Lord’s Prayer in Italian that is the equivalent of, but perhaps not precisely the same as ‘lead us not into temptation’ was news here, in the sense that it came as a surprise to most…
Mary Kenny
David Quinn
Fr Ronald Rolheiser