The View Some 150 years ago, on January 18, 1871 at Versailles, a united Germany came into being as an empire in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. Reminders of it are low-key, confined to German newspapers and magazines. A thousand-year Reich had existed in the past, the Holy Roman Empire, that existed…
The latest Nasa rover to touchdown on Mars has been hailed as inspiration for future explorers, a Church astronomer has said. Own path in life Jesuit Brother Robert Macke said that events like this were what inspired his own path in life. With degrees in physics, philosophy and theology, Br Macke said that he hopes…
In the wake of the economic fallout due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy said it expects a multimillion-dollar deficit in its budget for 2021. In a statement released February 19, the Vatican said Pope Francis signed off on the Holy See’s 2021 budget, which was proposed by the secretariat and…
Parishes already struggling with debt are under “crippling pressure” to maintain church structures, said the parish priest in Gurranabraher, Cork. Fr Tom Walsh SMA appealed to “committed” and “not-so-committed” parishioners to “come to the aid of churches in need”. He warned that some parishes may not be able to survive the pandemic. “We have seen…
A bill that would ban abortion of people with disabilities has split the pro-life camp, writes Ruadhán Jones Early last week, the DUP announced that it would propose a bill seeking to outlaw abortions on children with disabilities such as Down Syndrome, cleft palate and club foot in the North. The Severe Foetal Impairment Abortion (Amendment)…
Peru’s Catholic bishops want a thorough investigation of a Covid-19 vaccine trafficking scandal that includes the country’s papal nuncio. In a statement released late February 17, the bishops’ conference said the illicit use of vaccines “exposes the new face of the monster of corruption” in this Andean country of 33 million people. The scandal, known…
Women’s Ordination in the Catholic Church by John O’Brien (Cascade Books, $46.00hb $26.00/£20.00pb distributed by Books Depository and others, and available on Kindle) On January 11 Pope Francis, acting he said “after theological reflection”, issued a decree, Spiritus Domini (The Spirit of the Lord), which in the words of a press release “amended Canon Law to allow women…
Few people in Ireland seem aware that we are one of the only countries in Europe that has put a total halt to public worship, writes David Quinn The four Catholic archbishops have met online with Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, once again to express their wish that Catholics be allowed to gather in churches for Mass and…
Many St Patrick’s Day celebrations won’t be on the cards this year due to Covid-19 restrictions but The Saint Patrick Centre in Co. Down have prepared an online performance which includes music, dance and iconic imagery honouring the saint. ‘The Saint Patrick Show – A Musical and Visual Tale from Ancient to Modern Times’ will…
A good night’s sleep is the firm foundation upon which to build an effective Lent, writes Jason Osborne Sleep remains a mystery right at the heart of our daily existence. We know we need it, and we have some sense of what goes wrong when we don’t get enough or when it’s of a poor…
Ruadhán Jones
Peter Costello
David Quinn