Priests have expressed the hope that younger Catholics are rediscovering the Sacrament of Reconciliation after reporting a notable upsurge in people availing of Confession this Christmas. Limerick-based Fr Gerard Moloney CSsR said the much talked about “demise of Confession” is “slightly exaggerated”. “We have heard hundreds here in Limerick over the last few days, of…
Irish officials skipped an international meeting highlighting persecuted Christians, Tánaiste Simon Coveney has admitted to the Dáil. He did not give an explanation when questioned by Fianna Fáil’s Seán Haughey. The Second International Conference on Christian Persecution met in Hungary at the end of November and heard from Christians from the Middle East and other…
State Papers Secrets of the powers that be In 1961 the Eighth Duke of Leinster, Gerald FitzGerald, then living in England, presented the Royal Dublin Society with a 16th-Century relic of his family in the form of the Geraldine Rent Table that had once stood at Carton, and later at Kilkea Castle. It came…
The View On Monday, the Church celebrates the great moment of the first revelation of the Messiah to all nations and peoples: the Epiphany. Traditionally considered even more theologically significant than the Nativity, this was the moment in time when Christ was revealed as not only a Messiah for God’s chosen people, but for…
The Irishman who leads the Vatican office responsible for processing abuse complaints has revealed that if he were a layman with a son abused by a priest, he’d probably stop going to Mass. Msgr John Kennedy also said that his office has seen a record 1,000 cases from around the world this year, including from…
We need to have an honest and open-minded debate about climate change, writes David Quinn I confess to being in two minds about the green agenda for reasons I’ll try and explain. Green issues have pushed to the forefront of public debate in the past year. Here in Ireland, the Green party did quite well…
State Papers Echoes of the past from the archives This year interesting files were in very short supply. One file, in a delivery remarkable short of literary items, was certain to catch the attention of a books editor. A file on Anthony Cronin was devoid of interest so few were the items in it.…
Questions of Faith The phrase goes: “New year, new me.” The mentality of recognising your weaknesses and setting new goals aimed at improvement is ubiquitous across the western world. Some people decide to hit the gym, others try to jump on the diet train and many of us will attempt to stave off alcohol.…
Primate of All-Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin has urged Catholics not to forget the suffering that is taking place in different parts of the world, particularly as a result of war and conflict. Speaking at Mass in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh over Christmas, Archbishop Martin said “there is such a need for the light of Christ…
State Papers Echoes of the past from the archives Over April 19-23, 1989 President Hillery and his wife made a state visit to the Holy See. This went off very well, as is the usual case with state visits. But in the papers dealing with the invitation, an official in the department of Foreign…
Michael Kelly
Maria Steen
David Quinn
Colm Fitzpatrick
Chai Brady