Dear Editor, I was very moved by the description of Sr Clare Crockett by the curate from her Derry parish (IC 21/04/2016), following her tragic death in the earthquake in Equador. She sounded like a very inspirational woman who had an interesting faith story and her parish is rightly proud of her example and witness…
Dear Editor, You asked on the front page of The Irish Catholic (21/04/2016): Is it time to consider a female diaconate? In her two-page argument for women deacons in Ireland, Phyllis Zagano stresses that the diaconate is “totally separate from priesthood”. Yet Cathal Barry, in his continuing series on the Catechism of the Catholic Church,…
Dear Editor, Thank goodness the census is now over and hopefully I will no longer have to be exposed to the nonsense about whether or not to tick the box for religion on the form. Is that really the most important thing the media can find to discuss at a time of unprecedented homelessness in…
The Church teaches that priests share in the mission that Christ entrusted to the apostles, writes Cathal Barry The Second Vatican Council teaches that the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders is conferred by episcopal consecration, that fullness namely which, both in the liturgical tradition of the Church and the language of the Fathers…
Dear Editor, I notice that, while The Irish Catholic is now featuring a great number of advertisements, the Letters Page is more frequently missing. Do you plan to restore the Letters Page? I can assure you that it is very popular – and much missed by your readers. Yours faithfully, Isabella Corr, Greyabbey, Co. Down
Dear Editor, Great prominence and praise is rightly given by the media to Pope Francis’ visit and care to refugees in Lesbos. Our Irish bishops could be more supportive of the leadership of the Holy Father in this vast humanitarian crisis. I wrote to the hierarchy some weeks ago suggesting that vacant religious convents and centres could…
The Church teaches that ecclesiastical ministry is exercised in different degrees, writes Cathal Barry The ministerial priesthood has the task not only of representing Christ before the assembly of the faithful, but also of acting in the name of the whole Church when presenting to God the prayer of the Church, and above all when…
In a recent article in America magazine, Grant Kaplan, commenting on the challenge of the Resurrection, makes this comment: “Unlike previous communities in which the bond among members forges itself through those it excludes and scapegoats, the gratuity of the Resurrection allows for a community shaped by forgiven-forgivers.” What he is saying, among other things,…
“Based on the numbers, the Year of Mercy is proving to be extremely dissatisfying from Rome’s point of view”, writes Editor Michael Kelly It would be both unfair and untrue to call the jubilee year of mercy a flop, but it’s not going to be anything like the Great Jubilee of 2000. I was in…
“RTÉ clearly takes the responsibility of connecting people with this faith experience very seriously”, writes Editor Michael Kelly RTÉ is often roundly (and rightly) criticised for an apparent hostility towards faith and Catholicism in particular. Many people saw the disgraceful 2011 defamation of Fr Kevin Reynolds as confirmation of bias, or even an anti-Catholic agenda,…
Cathal Barry
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Michael Kelly