US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has penned a new article for the religious journal First Things, arguing that the Vatican’s agreement with China on the appointment of bishops has confused Catholics on the ground and urging the Holy See to be more vocal on China’s violations of human rights. “The Holy See has a unique…
Living Laudato Si’ During the month of September, Christians around the world are celebrating the Season of Creation, a season in the liturgical calendar where we are invited to reflect, pray and take action for our common home. It was heartening to see Bishop Larry Duffy (of Clogher Diocese) issue a special pastoral letter for…
Christianity, Judaism, and Islam ultimately all believe in the same God. Interestingly, too, in the popular mind they also all tend to conceive of God in the same way, namely, as male, celibate and not being particularly happy. Well, the gender of God is not something we can ever conceptualise. God is neither male or…
Pope prays for slain Italian priest remembered as a ‘martyr of charity’ Pope Francis expressed his sorrow after the murder of an Italian priest who was remembered for his care and concern for migrants and refugees. Before concluding his weekly general audience on September 16, the Pope led the Faithful in silent prayer for Father…
You Have the Words of Eternal Life by Martin Hogan (Messenger Publications, €14.95/£13.95) In these daily reflections for the liturgical year to come, Martin Hogan, who worked as a co-parish priest on the North side of Dublin, provides reflections on the Gospels of the day that arise directly out of the life and needs of the…
A Zoom conference with well-known speakers has been organised for the month of October entitled ‘Evangelising Irish Culture Today’. It is being organised by ‘The Hook of Faith’. In a letter about the event Wexford-based Fr Billy Swan said: “Pope Francis said that ‘it is imperative to evangelise cultures in order to enculturate the Gospel.…
There’s nothing more terrifying than a clock. For we mortals, the mere passage of time is a memento mori like no other. Yet, in the end, we may hope that the lifting of the veil of this world reveals something vastly more beautiful. The heartache which time causes in the parents of small children is…
The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. There’s more trouble down the farm today. In last Sunday’s Gospel it was grumbling over wages in the vineyard; this Sunday (Matthew 21:28-31), it’s a father’s confrontation with a son who said he would do the job but he didn’t. Conversely, the other son stamped out in…
New cinema releases are thin on the ground these days. A few brave souls are still calling “action” instead of “cut” as they seek to revive a form of entertainment that, like so many others these days, seems dangerously close to being on life support. Chemical Hearts chronicles the teenage romance of two high school…
Notebook He knelt, having just received his First Holy Communion. For how long did he kneel? I am not sure, but I imagine the teacher told the boys and girls that they should kneel when they returned to their seats, having said “Amen” to the Body of Christ. When he felt an appropriate length of…
Fr Ronald Rolheiser
Peter Costello
Rory Fitzgerald
Aubrey Malone