Irish bishops who have just returned from a fact-finding mission to the Holy Land say that have been inspired by the “enduring resilience” of the small Christian community there. Bishop Noel Treanor or Down and Connor and Bishop Alan McGuckian of Raphoe were part of an international delegation who travelled to the region to show…
Christian persecution around the world is a growing problem, says a new report from an agency that documents abuses against Christians across the globe. Worldwide, the report states, 260 million Christians are facing persecution. This marks a 6% increase from the previous year. The annual report from Open Doors, released on January 15, ranked North Korea first…
The new year started out with the focus on Brexit, Trump and Iran but it’s homelessness which keeps resurfacing closer to home, writes Aron Hegarty Ireland is experiencing its worst homelessness crisis in living memory and the problem has become so widespread that it is now a regular feature in Irish political and current affairs.…
Ciphers of Transcendence: Essays in Philosophy of Religion in Honour of Patrick Masterson Fran O’Rourke (Irish Academic Press, €35) This is a well-deserved Festschrift. Patrick Masterson was a loyal and valued staff member of University College Dublin for 30 years. Beginning in 1963 he was an assistant lecturer in the philosophy department and in…
A Catholic priest in Co. Tyrone cancelled a political party’s meeting at a church hall over their support for abortion. Fr Eugene O’Neill snubbed a booking from pro-abortion party Sinn Féin to use St Patrick’s Hall in Coalisland after being contacted by pro-life campaigners. The parish hall had been booked for Deputy First Minister Michelle…
Catholic leaders in Germany have compiled responses from lay Catholics in areas related to who holds power in the Church, sexual morals, the role of priests and the place of women in church offices in preparation for an upcoming synodal assembly to debate Church reforms. More than 940 suggestions and questions had been submitted by…
Chinese officials have evicted members of the clergy, including a bishop, from their homes and are closing Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Fujian. While the officials cited “fire safety standards” as the reason for the evictions, all the clergy and churches affected have refused to join the Communist-controlled Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. The CPCA,…
Singer Daniel O’Donnell says he loves Mass but feels it’s a “shame” the Catholic Church has lost the trust of many people in Ireland. The 58-year-old Donegal native, who recently released his new single ‘Halfway To Paradise’, insists that he is a man of Faith but prefers to stay private on matters regarding his religion.…
Even with the best intentions, even with no malice inside us, even when we are faithful, we sometimes cannot not hurt each other. Our human situation is simply too complex at times for us not to wound each other. Here’s an example: Soren Kierkegaard, who spent his whole life trying to be scrupulously faithful to…
Galway’s Joe Canning offers an insightful glimpse of a lived Faith, writes John G. Dwyer Sports stars have a reputation for giving dull interviews. Generally, they are wary of providing hostages to fortune while seldom venturing meaningful insights beyond their own discipline. GAA players may be forgiven for this as they must live a life…
Chai Brady
Fr Ronald Rolheiser