Dear Editor, Your news item about the death of US Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia (IC 18/02/2016) gave the impression that he was an exemplary Catholic. If Catholic values are to be understood as trying to live like the compassionate Jesus of the Gospels, it is difficult to see how the late judge stood out…
Dear Editor, Mary Kenny’s piece on blind cricket commentator Dean du Plessis, of Zimbabwe, was very interesting (IC 18/02/2016). She says: “Mr du Plessis, aged 39, was born with serious tumours in his head, and it was predicted at birth that he could only live for a brief time. But he survived, had medical care…
Dear Editor, In this Year of Mercy I think it would be a good idea if the bishops of Ireland would set aside a Sunday of atonement for all the sexual, physical, emotional, spiritual, and psychological abuse carried out within our Church. How can we expect individuals to seek mercy if we the Church don’t…
Dear Editor, Congratulations to the Transition Year student María Salto Galdón from Alexandra College on her excellent article – ‘The Pope Francis effect on youth’ (IC 18/02/2016). This is a very well-written piece and I recommend that schools take it for discussion at senior level. Our youth need to be encouraged to own their faith and Pope Francis’ leadership is a good way…
The Church teaches that Penance can take place in the framework of a communal celebration, writes Cathal Barry Like all the sacraments, according to the Church, Penance is a liturgical action. The elements of the celebration, the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, are ordinarily these: A greeting and blessing from the priest, reading the…
The Church teaches that reconciliation with God is the purpose and effect of the sacrament, writes Cathal Barry The whole power of the Sacrament of Penance, according to the Church, consists in restoring the faithful to God’s grace and joining us with him in an intimate friendship. Reconciliation with God, the Church teaches, is thus…
Several years ago, while teaching a summer course at Seattle University, I had as one of my students a woman who, while happily married, was unable to conceive a child. She had no illusions about what this meant for her. It bothered her a great deal. She found Mother’s Day very difficult. Among other things,…
“there does appear to be something in Catholicism in America that is not present in many Irish parishes”, writes Michael Kelly I’m writing from the United States where I am attending the Religious Education Congress of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Irish Catholics who attend Mass in the US often return with memories of the…
“Conscience has to be understood more widely than the mere deification of feelings or obedience to a dominant orthodoxy”, writes Editor Michael Kelly By the time most people read this, the general election will be over. At least the vote-casting part of it. All but a few seats will be decided, and it will be…
“It’s good to see the Catholic Church laying claim to this heritage of caring for creation”, writes Mary Kenny I heard a sincere and impassioned sermon in Dublin at the weekend in which the priest spoke about defending the environment: this, he said, was following in the footsteps of Pope Francis and St Francis himself.…
Cathal Barry
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Michael Kelly
Mary Kenny