At Sunday Mass celebrated at Argentina’s largest Marian shrine the head of the national bishops’ conference said it was necessary to “discern priorities” and that abortion cannot be one of them. The comments from Bishop Oscar Ojea of San Isidro came on a day recognised by the United Nations (UN) as being dedicated to women…
Pro-life politicians and activists are calling on the Northern Ireland Executive not to effect the abortion regulations currently being considered by the UK government, due to a “flawed” public consultation. The regulations are in the midst of being prepared and will expand abortion services in Northern Ireland with Baroness Nuala O’Loan saying the initial consultation…
The other week we reviewed in these pages an interesting, indeed important, book about new development of church architecture in Germany and Ireland after World War II. Of course, after the massive destruction during World War II when a large swathe of Northern Europe, from Brittany to Byelorussia, from the port of Brest to the…
New document studies correlation between Faith and sacraments A new document produced by the International Theological Commission (ITC) which studies the relationship between Catholicism and the sacraments has been issued last week. The document, titled ‘The Reciprocity between Faith and Sacraments in the Sacramental Economy’, examines a deeper understanding of the sacramental nature of Faith…
Germany and Spain have both elected new chairmen to head their respective bishops’ conference in the past week. Bishop Georg Batzing of Limburg succeeds Cardinal Reinhard Marx in Germany as conference chairman, while Spanish bishops have put their trust in Cardinal Juan José Omella of Barcelona to lead them. Baetzing, 58, is an advocate of…
The Christian homeless charity DePaul helped over 300 people exit direct provision centres in 2019. Through their Cosán Nua or ‘New Path’ service they helped 300 struggling households, moved 132 households into independent living and aided 328 people exiting Direct Provision centres, including 168 adults and 160 children. Sibusiso Lowrene, a single mother with two young…
A Bishop in South Africa has claimed the worship of God is weak today because it has to compete with the modern consumer culture of “buying and selling”. Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha said consumption leaves us “empty” and that the coverage of sport has “dethroned God” during a speech in Eastern Cape last week.…
“If you’re looking for the real story of St Patrick, you will be able see this film and at the end of it understand this man. What he went through, facing death, his courage and his willingness to follow God to the ends of the Earth.” These are the words executive producer Gordon Robertson uses…
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin – who is due to tender his resignation next month – has recalled a senior cleric from Rome and appointed him as Vicar with responsibility for priests. The appointment of Msgr Ciaran O’Carroll, who is currently rector of the Pontifical Irish College, is being seen as some as Dr Martin wanting to…
We all fear judgement. We fear being seen with all that’s inside us, some of which we don’t want exposed to the light. Conversely, we fear being misunderstood, of not being seen in the full light, of not being seen for who we are. And what we fear most perhaps is final judgement, the ultimate…
Chai Brady
Peter Costello
Fr Ronald Rolheiser