In May, a major survey carried out by Amarach Research on behalf of the Iona Institute found that Gen Z respondents (18-24-years-olds) are a lot more open to religion than their Millennial counterparts (25-34-year-olds). While only 6% of those aged 25-34 consider themselves religious, this jumps to 17% among 18-24-year-olds. While this is markedly lower…
Government redress schemes are undoubtedly a good thing. They provide the opportunity for the successor governments of past duty-bearers to provide something beyond superficial apologies on behalf of the State. Such apologies, while useful, are not real apologies. They do not involve any genuine accountability or acceptance of culpability on behalf of individuals who committed…
Dear Editor, I wish to commend Fr Martin Delaney for his powerful and courageous article addressing the annual transfer of priests. In highlighting the personal and communal impact of these transitions, Fr Delaney invites us all to reflect more compassionately and thoughtfully on how we support our priests and our parish communities through such changes.…
The world lacks strong and outspoken leaders who can forcefully take to task the Israeli government and what its forces are doing in the Gaza Strip right now: killing the Palestinian civilians there through violence or starvation — a move that many have condemned as genocide. As many as 111 humanitarian organisations around the world…
It is difficult to fathom how a government so eager to speak of “inclusion,” “equity,” and “reconciliation” continues to pursue a €26.2 million financial demand from the Legion of Mary — an organisation that, by every available measure, did more for Ireland’s most vulnerable women than the State itself ever dared to do. The Regina…
Last week, I asked whether people should moralise about the personal conduct of those in high places. The Christian view warns against being judgemental, lest we ourselves be judged. On such grounds, I have previously been somewhat sorry for Prince Andrew, once second-in-line to the British throne. Andrew was disgraced for bad behaviour, poor judgement…
The anti-Catholic dialogue and its inaccuracies Dear Editor, it was good to see letters and articles in recent issues of The Irish Catholic in defence of the catholic authorities, including those nuns who ran the Mother and Baby Homes. I feel a strong sense of gratitude to all those people who still come out in…
Sandra Adams writes about the announcement of a National Convention on Education being established in Ireland On July 25 Minister Helen McEntee posted a video on X, LinkedIn, and Instagram announcing the establishment of a National Convention on Education. In this scripted presentation, she explained that the convention will explore how “students, teachers, school staff…
Greetings from the holiday month of July “Summertime And the living is easy, Fish are jumping And the cotton is high…” With apologies to the composer of this tune, George Gerschwin, it is the jazzy voice of Ella Fitzgerald which sums up how July feels for this pastor. It’s a lovely month in most country…
Should we moralise – or take a moral view – on the public behaviour of persons thrust into the public limelight? A recent global event has produced a wide range of varying responses to such an occurrence. At a concert in Massachusetts, where the musical group Coldplay was performing, a couple were caught on camera…
Breda O'Brien
Mary Kenny