The View It is often overlooked that a major contributor to the opening up of Irish society from the early 1960s was the Vatican, when Pope John XXIII soon after his election summoned the Second Vatican Council. It had many outcomes and effects, but one of them, the ecumenical movement, was warmly received by many…
Ahead of an audience with Pope Francis last Wednesday, Germany’s foreign minister welcomed a day of same-sex blessings held in defiance of the Vatican. Speaking before he met with the Pope on May 12, Heiko Maas backed the blessing ceremonies held in around 80 German cities on Monday in protest at the Vatican’s “no” to…
A Parent’s Perspective One of my childhood Catholic children’s books, The Seven Deadly Sins, always attracted my interest with its dramatic depictions of errant children. There was Eileen who was envious, Clare the covetous and a range of other boys and girls who had failed in one area or another. I remember feeling a bit…
Personal Profile In the late 1980s, Pat Sweeney and his family travelled to France for their daughter, who wanted to improve her French. They spent three weeks going around the country, including a fateful visit to Lisieux, the home of St Thérèse Martin. From that moment on, Mr Sweeney’s life was to revolve more and…
There is a good reason to treat marriage differently than other family situations, writes David Quinn In the Dáil last week, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar described the current definition of the family in the Constitution as “out-of-date”. This might surprise you. Didn’t we have a referendum on marriage in 2015 precisely to ‘modernise’ our view of…
The Irish Catholic Spring Legacy 2021 A Last Act of Mercy Covid-19 has made Trócaire’s work more difficult, but Irish donations have ensured they adapt and continue to do it, writes Jason Osborne The pandemic didn’t come at a good time for anyone, but still less for Trócaire. An organisation that is built upon the…
The National Anthems of the EU Countries by Liam Murphy (Kingdom books, €18.00) Though World War II was an Armageddon of evil, it had at least one good result: what became the European Union (EU) emerged from its embers. This historic union was formed by European statesmen who were determined that their countries would never again…
Throughout history and across the globe, lay catechists have been revered as saints, and many were martyred for their refusal to renounce their faith and their vocation to teach the Christian faith to others. Formally instituting “the ministry of catechist” with a document published May 11, Pope Francis praised “the countless lay men and women…
Unintended Consequences: The story of Irish Immigration to the US and how America’s door was closed to the Irish by Ray O’Hanlon (Merrion Press, €19.95) Joe Carroll For over 150 years the Irish crossed the Atlantic to make a new life in the United States and nobody shouted ‘stop’. Then in 1965 the open door narrowed…
Gloria Steinem once confessed that, while never having been overweight, she has always been concerned about her weight because the genes she inherited from her parents predisposed her in that direction. So, she says, “I think of myself as a fat woman who is slim at the moment”. Her comment helped me to understand something…
Maria Byrne
Ruadhán Jones
David Quinn
Fr Ronald Rolheiser