Courtney McGrailDear Editor, In the course of the interview with Mary McAleese ‘There’s something about Mary’ (IC 12/11/2015) she stated “My views are founded emphatically in the Gospel”, before going on to explain in beautiful language that her faith in Christ is “the essence of my being”, “the love of Christ, his offer of mercy to…
Month: December 2015
Mrs McAleese is not a bridge builder for the Church
Dear Editor, I read with interest Martin O’Brien’s interview with Mary McAleese in your November 12 edition. He was high in his praise and admiration of her. We all admired her many good qualities, her courage and determination, her intelligence, her eloquence and not least her commitment to build peace between the two communities she had such…
Preaching on Pope’s Laudato Si’
Dear Editor, How many priests in Ireland have preached about the Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si’? How many bishops have urged the priests in their dioceses to speak about the encyclical? How many parishes have devoted time to reflecting on and acting on Laudato Si’? Just curious. Yours etc., Fr Joe McVeigh, Lisbellaw, Co. Fermanagh.
Catholics call for climate action in Paris
More than 1.8 million signatures – including 800,000 collected by Catholic organisations – were on a petition calling for action on climate change submitted by interfaith leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Heads of state gathered in the Paris suburb of Le Bourget for the summit, with leaders of Catholic organisations saying that…
Media monitors urge Vatican to honour press freedom
Media monitors at the 57-country Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have condemned the Vatican’s trial of two journalists and their alleged sources, and have called on the Holy See to honour its commitments to press freedom. “Our main concern is for the protection of confidential sources,” said Gunnar Vrang, spokesman for OSCE’s…
World News in Brief
Mali Church leaders insist friendship with Muslims will continue Relations between Catholics and Muslims in Mali will not be affected by the November 20 attack on Bamako’s Radisson Hotel, according to the secretary-general of Mali’s Catholic bishops’ conference. While conceding that the attack, in which at least 20 people were killed, was part of a wider Islamist campaign, Msgr Edmond Dembele recalled how…
Thanksgiving and praise
Cathal BarryThe Church teaches that the Eucharist is the memorial of Christ’s Passover, writes Cathal Barry
A creative pioneer of the media
“For Gerry Reynolds, the unity of the Churches was nothing less than sharing the Body of the Lord at the common table”, writes Fr Brendan McConvery