Month: September 2020

In Brief

Cologne cardinal warns German Church’s Synodal Path could cause schism Cologne Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki warned that the Synodal Path reform project could lead to a “German national church. The worst outcome would be if the Synodal Path leads to a schism…with the universal Church,” Cardinal Woelki told Germany’s Catholic News Agency, KNA. The Catholic…

Abortion isn’t the only issue in US election

Dear Editor, As someone Irish now living in the United States I feel the call to enter the debate over the US Presidential election that has been raised recently in your columns. If indeed abortion was the only issue at stake in the election, a Catholic would have no option but to vote Republican and…

Family News & Events

Let yourself Le-go for Halloween Let yourself Le-go with a themed Halloween Camp run by LEGO for children aged between 3 to 12 years in Arklow. “Come to join the fun in our action-packed Halloween LEGO Camp, where kids can enjoy creating spooky LEGO designs, arts and crafts, baking, pottery, fun and games and much…

An unquiet documentary with a punch

Sometimes I shy away from worthy programmes because I’m not in the mood or I think they’ll be too sad or grim. Fortunately I resisted that temptation on Wednesday of last week. Unquiet Graves (RTÉ One) was indeed sad and grim, but it was also inspiring story about the thirst for justice. It told the…

‘Urgent notice’ to Dublin parishes as public Mass cancelled again

Public Masses, Confirmations and First Communions have been cancelled in Dublin for three weeks after the Government’s new guidelines were announced this evening. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin sent an “urgent notice” to parishes in the Archdiocese of Dublin this morning (Friday), presupposing the Government’s announcement as he said the outcome “seems likely”. The restrictions will see…

Pubs and the Church – what do they have in common?

Years ago, the Vintners Association of Ireland were concerned that the Pioneer movement would exert sufficient influence on the Government to restrict the opening hours of public houses. But how gentle and civilised were the advocates of temperance in comparison to the ferocious damage being wrought by the Covid pandemic, and the nostrums of those…

President welcomes El Salvador conviction

President Michael D. Higgins has welcomed a decision by a court in Spain to sentence a former Salvadoran army colonel to 133 years in prison for the murder of five Spanish Jesuit priests in the Latin American country in 1989. Inocente Orlando Montano, 77, was found guilty of “terrorist murder”. The killings happened during El…