We tend to nurse a certain naiveté about what faith means in the face of death. The common notion among us as Christians is that if someone has a genuine faith she should be able to face death without fear or doubt. The implication then of course is that having fear and doubt when one…
Judge blocks US bill banning majority of abortions A federal judge has blocked an Alabama law banning most abortions, which passed in May, from going into effect on the planned date of November 15. The ‘Human Life Protection Act’, which Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law on May 14, would have made attempting or…
Dear Editor, I note that Mary Kenny (17/10/19) states that, as she mentioned previously, she believes the Vatican should revisit Humanae Vitae as “we know so much more about fertility control now than in 1968”. May I revisit this issue too and point out that previous to its publication and afterwards the Vatican had encouraged and promoted…
There are plans afoot to move the National Symphony Orchestra away from RTÉ and bring it under the aegis of the National Concert Hall. While the proposed transfer may be causing anxieties to the musicians involved, these concerns are certainly not affecting the standard of their playing. With the 2019/20 season in full swing, the…
Notebook Fr Bernard Healy The approach of November in Rome is usually marked by additional bus services to the city’s cemeteries. Although religious practice rates in Rome are probably no more encouraging than in Ireland, the custom of the cemetery visit during November is still strong. The community of the Pontifical Irish College prays for…
Mainly about Books In the winter of 1897 two English explorers found in the municipal rubbish heaps of an ancient city called Oxyrhynchus (120 miles south of Cairo) a fragment of a papyrus, dating from the 2nd or 3rd Century. The text written on it was one hitherto unknown. The single leaf contained parts of…
Many tributes have been paid to the late Gay Byrne who died this week. He dominated much public debate in the second half of the last century and was a towering figure in broadcast journalism. In some ways, his television and radio programmes were a mirror being held up to an Ireland where many people…
Leave a Legacy Supplement Chai Brady speaks to Sightsavers about the devastating diseases and blindness they combat Easily treated diseases that are now quickly tackled in the Western world with readily available medicines are still a scourge in developing countries, with blindness being one of the “devastating” outcomes. Charlie Lamson, CEO of Sightsavers, told The…
Some TV programmes are nasty, some are forgettable fluff, some are enjoyable entertainment and some are hugely important. I’d put Children of the Troubles (RTÉ1, Monday) in that latter category. Presented by Joe Duffy, assisted by journalist Freya Clements, it outlined the stories of the children who died as a result of ‘the Troubles’. It…
At the 2019 Annual Edmund Burke Lecture, former President of Ireland Dr McAleese spoke on the topic ‘The Future of Ireland: Human Rights and Children’s Rights’. The lecture was held at the Edmund Burke Theatre and organised by Trinity Long Room Hub. She said the Holy See “has never considered the ethical, legal and moral…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Peter Costello
Michael Kelly
Chai Brady
Brendan O’Regan