What is ‘the far right’ in the political – or social – sphere? We hear this phrase from various authorities, but when the admirable Senator Sharon Keogan asked Justice Minister Helen McEntee for a definition, the minister dithered over her response. She was “not sure there is a definition,” said Ms …
Category: Comment & Analysis
The answer to loneliness, addiction and despair should not be death
Questions are asked openly about the future of the Church. It is said that it is in terminal decline.They have said this for centuries. Yet still it continues to grow. It was most unlikely, given the might of the Roman empire and the power relationships existing in the Holy Land at the time of Christ,…
What to say when the visitors come knocking
Senator Rónán Mullen It’s a big year, electorally speaking. We’ve already had two referendums that proved revealing. We’ll have the local and European elections on June 7. And Taoiseach Simon Harris may yet go to the country this October – if this Government’s last budget is, as expected, of the giveaway variety, then Harris…
Facebook’s Catholic problem
The tech giant has a surprisingly long history of suppressing Catholic speech, writes Ian Dunn Facebook may not be the trendiest platform, but it remains incredibly popular. Every month, more than 3 billion people log in. The company’s grand mission statement is “to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer…
UN Security Council risks ‘doom loop’
Reform isn’t enough to improve the UN Security Council, writes Michael Sanfey Earlier this month the British Foreign Secretary and his French counterpart co- authored an op-ed celebrating the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, a diplomatic agreement between the United Kingdom and France. “We have helped to forge a better world,” they wrote in…
Make your input for life in the upcoming elections
Three really important elections are set to take place in the coming months – the local and European elections in early June, and a General Election sometime this year or early next year, at the latest. All three elections will determine who represents us for the next five years. It’s why from a pro-life standpoint…
Franciscan priest in Holy Land: War has become way of life
War in Gaza has become a “way of life”, according to a Franciscan priest in the Holy Land. On Tuesday, Israel sent tanks to parts of the northern Gaza Strip, while warplanes conducted strikes on Rafah in the south of the territory, killing and wounding several people, according two local officials. The Israeli offensive in…
Catholicism is not another culture war
Entertainment isn’t always life-giving. Recently, after a funeral, I spoke with a man, he was probably in his late 30s or early 40s. He was Irish and had been raised a Catholic. His story is all too common among our fellow Irish Catholics. He had received all the sacraments of initiation, Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.…
Jerusalem Armenians fight for the future
Justin robinson OSB An Armenian flag fluttered atop a pile of rubble in the cool evening, a welcome respite from the khamsin storm which had oppressed Jerusalem with days of hot dusty clouds coming from the deserts of Arabia. Hundreds of people shared a delicious buffet meal in the shadow of the flag and…
Church must jump or be pushed into change
Church in Ireland is facing a very well publicised crisis in vocations to the priesthood, one which the recently ended Year for Vocation was an attempt to tackle. If we’re not careful, our local Church could be facing a second vocations crisis – this time among the laity – and the window is narrowing in…