Everyday Philosophy There’s a standard bit of ethical terminology that gets thrown around a lot in Catholic circles: the difference between moral questions that involve ‘intrinsic evils’ and moral questions that involve ‘matters of prudential judgment’. This comes up a lot in politics: support for certain things like abortion and euthanasia are supposed to be…
“But mummy it is only 8 o’clock. I am not tired yet.” “Tired or not we are back to school soon and you need your sleep.” Many households are the same, trying to return to their old routine after the summer. For many including myself it is a new stepping stone as my youngest is…
Personal Profile Fr Brendan O’Donoghue celebrated 65 years of priesthood this year, and though officially retired, he continues to work in the parish of Shannon, Co. Clare. Looking back on his ministry, especially his involvement in the social work of the Church, he recalls the ways the Lord led him on paths he didn’t expect.…
We are married three years and in the last year or so my husband has been going out with his friends or work colleagues much more than before. He goes out every Saturday night and usually comes home drunk, really affecting our Sundays as a family because he is hungover and in a bad mood.…
Nothing so much approximates the language of God as does silence. Meister Eckhart said that. Among other things, he is affirming that there is some deep inner work that can only be done in silence, alone, in private. In the end, the other is heaven, the salvation for which we are ultimately destined. Utter aloneness…
Study suggests vaccine protection wanes after 6 months The protection provided by two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines starts to wane within six months, new research suggests. A reasonable worst-case scenario could see protection fall to below 50% for the elderly and healthcare workers by winter, an expert has said. The…
The Sunday Gospel Last Saturday I had the great privilege of baptising my beautiful grandniece, Juliet. Actually, I prefer to refer to the sacrament as a Christening. Baptism means having a bath, being washed and cleansed. Christening, or Christ-ening, expresses the new life received, a living relationship with Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord. After naming…
The Church has highlighted the importance of playing a responsible role in the complex web of creation in recent years, writes Jason Osborne The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made for sober reading, warning that unless there are immediate, grand reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, it won’t be possible to limit global warming…
Medical Matters Reducing alcohol consumption in Ireland has become an important public health policy that has received much recent attention. A report conducted by the Health Research Board in 2013 showed that more than half (54.3%) of drinkers aged 18-75 in Ireland were classified as harmful drinkers, with approximately two fifths (37.3%) practising binge drinking…
Personal Profile When Helen Vysotska entered University College Dublin, she knew she wasn’t happy – she just wasn’t sure why. Practically in the first week, however, Ms Vysotska was drawn to the Newman Catholic society. Within a few years, the shallow faith of her youth took root and flourished and Ms Vysotska is now the…
Ben Conroy
Ruadhán Jones
Wendy Grace
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Dr Kevin McCarroll