Announcements of Papal visits are supposed to be moments of unbridled joy. But, the news that Pope Francis is to come to Ireland in August is somewhat tinged with sadness and disappointment. Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown speaks for many when he articulates the disappointment felt about how organisers of the Pope’s trip have decided…
Personal Profile Colm Fitzpatrick speaks with a kidney failure sufferer Although organ donation is very rarely spoken about in a religious context, a parish priest is calling on all people to think about this worthy and self-sacrificing act. Fr Patrick Guilfoyle, who is now 72, has been a parish priest based in Tullaroan, Kilkenny,…
A zoo like no other After spending time over Easter reflecting on your faith and the importance of family, you can wrap up your Easter Weekend with a visit to the Electric Zoo, which returns to the Wells House and Gardens in Gorey on Easter Monday. The Electric Zoo is full of fun, drivable electronic…
Fáilte Pope Francis … from the Children of Ireland (Columba Press, €14.99) This delightful book had its origins in a competition run by The Irish Catholic with primary schools all over Ireland encouraging young children to write a letter of welcome to the Pope on his visit in August this year to Dublin for the…
Writing in this newspaper in 2008, Fr Jim Good, who died last week, discussed his clash with the Bishop of Cork, and their eventual reconciliation in Africa I am the only person familiar with the last two years of Bishop of Cork and Ross Cornelius Lucey’s life, so I feel some record should be written…
Bishop Francis Duffy of Ardagh and Clonmacnois has defended the Eighth Amendment as a “life-affirming constitutional provision” and has argued that the issue merits discussion from the perspective of Church teaching. In the pastoral letter released on March 23, the bishop said that human life begins at conception and that nobody has the right to…
Knights of Malta suspend ‘Dictator Pope’ author The author of a highly critical book about Pope Francis, entitled The Dictator Pope, has been suspended by the Knights of Malta. In a statement the order said it disassociated itself from the book and condemned the “vile attack against the Pope”. The order said author Henry Sire has been suspended pending the results of…
Green Fingers It’s generally in April that ground temperatures start to rise and grass grows with renewed vigour. This year it may be late on in the month, however April is still the month to look over your lawn. You should be cutting it fortnightly now, with the blades still set high. It’s after…
Elise Harris, Catholic News Agency Pope Francis said today that the Easter Triduum is the most important time of year for Christians and stressed that those who truly allow themselves to be transformed by Jesus’ resurrection, while still being sinners, cannot be corrupt. “A Christian, if he truly allows himself to be washed by Christ,…
Bishop Denis Nulty has paid tribute to the tireless work of priests – many of them elderly – in parishes across the country. Speaking at the annual Kildare and Leighlin Chrism Mass on Monday of Holy Week, Dr Nulty referred to the fact that it is an occasion for priests to renew the commitment of…
Michael Kelly
Colm Fitzpatrick
Peter Costello
Paul Gargan