Fr Vincent Sherlock The Notebook I got a message recently, one of those funny messages we so freely share with one another. It was a picture of two people looking at their smartphones and the caption ran: “I’m having a few people over to stare at their phones later if you want to come…
Pope Francis often chides Christians who are “stingy” with God’s mercy, preferring instead to preach a Christianity that is burdensome. The Pope is certainly not stingy with mercy, nor is he stingy with his time. He devoted several hours to listening individually to survivors of clerical sexual abuse at the Vatican last week. But, it…
Dear Editor, Following your reports in recent weeks in relation to the forthcoming referendum on the Eighth Amendment we wish to make clear the position of the Society of St Vincent de Paul as an organisation. As on previous occasions, where there have been referenda or elections, the Society of St Vincent de Paul will…
This is the season for clearing out our winter wardrobes, and digging out spring and summer clothes: a task which can prompt many reflections on our lifestyles and homespun philosophy about sartorial indulgence. As I unzip the bags full of seasonal apparel, I wonder just how much time, money and effort is spent in the…
Maintaining a religious ethos in a secular culture is a serious challenge, writes David Quinn If the Fine Gael party were run by people who do not believe in Fine Gael policy, would it still be Fine Gael? Most people would say the answer to this question is No. Likewise, with the Catholic Church.…
Letter from Rome World Youth Day, a massive gathering of young people from around the world that’s become something like the Woodstock of the Catholic Church, was founded in 1985 for young people. Spokespersons say the January 2019 edition in Panama, however, also will be organised by young people themselves. Among the novelties the…
Though a sprawling network of Catholic activists, usually featuring determined members of women’s religious orders, are helping to lead today’s social and humanitarian crusade against human trafficking and modern-day slavery, they know they need the unique resources and powers of governments to turn the tide. A Rome summit on consumerism has suggested that at least…
Information technology and social media aren’t my mother tongue. I’m a digital immigrant. I wasn’t born into the world of information technology but migrated into it, piece-meal. I first lived in some foreign territories. I was nine years old before I lived with electricity. I had seen it before; but neither our home, our school,…
Disappointment is a fact of life for nearly everyone who lives on this planet. It’s simply part of the human condition. We are occasionally disappointed in friends and family, and by people in the other circles in which we move — including our parish. Priests can be disappointed when the parish they are moved to…
Dear Editor, Marie Collins’ recommendation that clerics who have misled Pope Francis around abuse and cover-up in Chile should be removed from office (IC 19/4/2018) makes perfect sense. At this stage, it is hard to see how anything else could constitute a genuine commitment to the cause of zero tolerance in the field of child…
Michael Kelly
Mary Kenny
David Quinn
John L. Allen Jr.
Fr Ronald Rolheiser