The conviction for abuse of a top Vatican cardinal looks highly suspicious, writes Greg Daly “What a load of garbage, and falsehood, and deranged falsehood,” Cardinal George Pell had retorted when questioned by police about allegations that he had sexually assaulted two 13-year-old choirboys in 1996. It’s the kind of brash, blunt comment for…
South Sudan’s peace deal is fatally flawed, the country’s bishops said as they committed the Church to helping forge new negotiations. They also recommended a series of measures to end the conflict. “We urge all stakeholders and friends of South Sudan to collaborate to seek a new model” for peace, the bishops said in a…
The Missouri House of Representatives has passed the Missouri Stands for the Unborn Act, an omnibus bill that bans abortion when the heartbeat of an unborn child can be detected, which could be as early as six weeks “depending on the method used”. The measure, also limits late-term abortions after five months of pregnancy; declares…
A major gathering of the United Methodist Church has reaffirmed its teaching on homosexuality, rejecting same-sex unions and the ordination of sexually active homosexuals, prompting predictions that some American congregations who reject this teaching will leave the denomination. The international gathering, called a Special Session of the General Conference of the UMC, drew over 800…
Questions of Faith It can seem odd to non-believers that at a certain point every year, Catholics abstain from certain practices considered comfortable, or adopt new behaviours aimed at improving their spiritual lives. While initially this may sound slightly off-the-wall, there’s a very good reason behind it. The season of Lent lasts 40 days (technically…
The Mystical Imagination of Patrick Kavanagh: A Buttonhole in Heaven by Una Agnew (Veritas, €16.99) This is a new and enlarged edition of an important book first issued over a decade ago. For a work of literary criticism this is an unusual thing, but then for many readers what Sr Agnew has to say about the…
The Church must find ways to help young people share the Christian message, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh has said. Speaking to around 8,500 young people at the Flame 2019 conference in London, the Primate of All-Ireland described how in Rome last year at the synod on young people he admitted that he finds it…
Parents shouldn’t be relying on loan-sharks to curb the “crazy” costs of Communion celebrations, a spokesperson for a well-known family support centre has said. Valerie O’Carroll, manager of Ballymun Child and Family Resource Centre in Dublin, said it’s “absolutely crazy” the amount of money being spent on Communion celebrations, noting that the Sacrament has transformed…
Falling for a Farmer by Maura McElhone (Mercier Press, €14.99) In this beautifully written memoir Maura McElhone presents a perceptive mirror both to life on the farm and life in 21st-Century Ireland. This she achieves in a romantic tale about herself and a farmer, named Jack. Maura, a native of Portstewart in Co. Derry, was educated…
Retreats offer a chance to spend time with God away from the pressures of the world, Greg Daly is told “The beauty of a retreat is that it is time for you to step away from the everyday and to reconnect with God and your Faith,” according to Noirín Mulhern of Knock Shrine. “I…
Greg Daly
Colm Fitzpatrick
Peter Costello