St John Paul II relic stolen in Italian church robberies A relic of St Pope John Paul II has been stolen from a cathedral in central Italy, while a church in Sicily was also robbed and the Eucharist desecrated. A gold reliquary with a relic of the blood of St John Paul II was discovered…
Besides his deafness, Beethoven had poor eyesight, suffered persistent liver and abdominal problems and endured serious bouts of depression. The early 1820s were particularly difficult for him but, when his health began to improve, he plunged into a remarkably concentrated period of creative endeavour resulting in his Missa Solemnis, Ninth Symphony and late string quartets.…
Last week I wrote about a programme (Unquiet Graves) that highlighted sectarian murders in the North, perpetrated by loyalist gangs in the 1970s. I wasn’t expecting something similar so soon. Scannal (RTÉ One, Tuesday of last week) told the story of the conflict at Holy Cross School in the Ardoyne, Belfast. Even the most hardened…
The list of priests who have died this year from the beginning of March until the end of August makes for grim reading (see page 19). There has been a dramatic rise in the number of Irish clerics who have died compared to the same period in previous years. Of course, not all of them…
The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. “Let me sing to my friend the song of his love for his vineyard.” These are the opening words of today’s first reading from Isaiah. However, it turns out to be a sad song about a neglected vineyard that produced sour wine. The Responsorial Psalm identifies the…
Protecting and Empowering Children in an Online World One of CyberSafe Ireland’s most popular sessions, this talk is aimed at parents of children from 8-13 years old which offers a general overview to raise awareness of the main factors to consider around social media, gaming and the online world. The aim is not to scare…
Former apostolic nuncio to Ireland, US Archbishop Charles Brown [pictured], has been appointed as the new apostolic nuncio to the Philippines. The Pope transferred Archbishop Brown from his current role as apostolic nuncio to Albania, to head the Vatican’s diplomatic mission to the Philippines in Manila. The post in the Philippines has been vacant since…
All the current talk about judges and courts made me reflect this week on the role of law in Christian civilisation. The institutions of justice are not, of course, a Christian invention; it was the pagan Romans who were the pioneers in legal thought and practice. It was they, for example, who first enunciated the…
Dear Editor, I was very saddened to learn that there will be no public Masses for the next three weeks. As a daily communicant, I was upset to hear that I, along with many other practising Catholics, will not be able to receive the Holy Eucharist for a minimum of three weeks. The Eucharist is…
Brendan O’Regan
Michael Kelly