Dear Editor, This is a response to a general tendency I notice in much I read in The Irish Catholic. Many articles focus on the challenges to the Church, lack of vocations, the Faith not being passed onto our children, Church law not being upheld, what we do in the aftermath of the sexual abuse…
Month: September 2013
Clarity needed on politicians receiving Communion
Dear Editor, A Sunday news story said that anonymous reports claimed that parish priests had “pilloried” TDs from the pulpit and challenged others directly and refused Communion because they voted for the abortion law. Mr M Long, spokesman for the bishops’ conference, said there was no diktat issued. Unfortunate all round. The canon law on…
500% increase in broken marriages
David QuinnThe number of Irish adults who have been through a broken marriage has increased by a massive 500% in the last 25 years. Last week The Iona Institute (which I head) issued a report called Marriage Breakdown and Family Structure in Ireland. The figures in it are drawn from Census 2011 and compare today…
Building homes of hope
Young D&C volunteers working in Ethiopia
Speaking up for the Catholic viewpoint
Catholic Comment launched in time for last year’s International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, with a mission to serve “both the Church and the media”: since then its speakers have taken part in over 90 radio and television interviews including on programmes such as Prime Time, The Frontline, Tonight with Vincent Browne, Ireland AM, Morning Edition,…
Assuming the best in young people
Liza Hughes reports from a Summer Camp for youth in Armagh & Clogher
Finding ecumenical paths towards unity
YOUCAT poses the question “What must we do for the unity of Christians?” Unity is the business of all Christians regardless of how young or old they are! Jesus prayed to the Father, “that they all may be one”. John 17. The desire for unity is something that we all endeavour to achieve. Families…
Relics of St Anthony to visit Ireland
He’s the popular saint known to help people find lost items and his miracles have won him affectionate veneration among Christians and non-Christians alike. This autumn, tens of thousands of St Anthony’s devotees in Ireland and Britain are expected to turn out to welcome his relics as they tour the two countries in October…
Bishop forced to hide his colours at All Ireland hurling final
Nerves were frayed amongst the 80,000 crowd in Croke Park last Sunday as the All Ireland Hurling final between Cork and Clare resulted in a tense draw during injury time, and no more so than for Bishop Kieran O’Reilly, a Corkman based in Clare. “Coming from Cork and living in Clare I had a…
Clergy changes should be ‘more democratic’
Bishops must take a more democratic approach to priestly appointments according to a leading expert who works with priests and religious who feel bullied in the Church. Spiritan Fr Tony Byrne said that bishops and religious superiors who do not listen to priests’ concerns about appointments store up problems for the future. However, he…