A Nigerian Catholic priest kidnapped at his parish residence September 13 has been freed. The priest’s liberation was announced on September 15 by Fr Emmanuel Uchechukwu, chancellor of Kafanchan diocese, in northern Nigeria, reported ACI Africa. “With hearts filled with joy, we raise our voices in a symphony of praises as we announce the return of our…
Month: September 2021
How Christianity brought us the secular
The Innocence of Pontius Pilate. How the Roman trial of Jesus shaped history by David Lloyd Dusenbury (Hurst and Company, £25.00/€30.00) Frank Litton Stories we are told can win or lose wars. The Taliban’s story — David vs Goliath in a ‘holy’ war — proved more telling than the United States’ and its allies’ story of a nation…
Building up your bones
The cooler weather will soon enough be instilling a chill in our bones, but there’s no reason why we can’t strengthen them before then, writes Jason Osborne Brittle bones, or ‘osteoporosis’, is the most common bone disorder to occur. It’s most common in older, post-menopausal females, but it can affect adults of any age or…
Learn CPR: It can triple cardiac arrest survival Chances
Medical Matters Every year in Ireland, there are approximately 2,500 out of hospital cardiac arrests, with a rising proportion of cases that occur outside the home having CPR performed by bystanders. The cardiac arrest of the Danish footballer Christian Eriksen on live television has highlighted the importance and success of rapid CPR and defibrillation. Indeed,…
Mexican bishops announce march for ‘women’ and ‘life’
In response to recent rulings by the nation’s Supreme Court decriminalising abortion, the bishops of Mexico have called on the Faithful and people of good will throughout the country to join a march “for women and for life” to be held October 3 in Mexico City. In a September 13 statement, the Mexican bishops’ conference…
Into the imaginative world of Jack Yeats
The exhibition at the National Gallery of Ireland to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of the painter Jack B. Yeats is one which everyone at all interested in Irish art – or indeed Irish culture in general – will want to see. The catalogue to accompany the show is also one to have.…
US-Mexico border facing a ‘humanitarian crisis’
John Lavenburg As thousands of migrants congregate underneath the Del Rio International Bridge, the Archbishop of San Antonio says the archdiocese will help however possible, but he fears an already overwhelming situation for the border city will get worse. The number of migrants underneath the bridge grew to more than 8,000 last Thursday with some…
Seekers after spiritual truth
Voices from the Desert. The Lost Legacy of the Skelligs by Hugh MacMahon (Columba Books. €14.99/£12.99) Skellig Michael is one of the most famous heritage sites in Ireland, which the Office of Public Works has made great effort to render more accessible to visitors. Having appeared in one of the segments of the Star Wars series…
Live Action says Google’s removal of pro-life ads ‘unprecedented’
According to US pro-life group Live Action, the search engine Google cancelled its advertisements for abortion pill reversal services. The act is further evidence of Google’s pro-abortion biases, a leading pro-life activist told CNA. “In a dramatic and unprecedented move, Google has sided squarely with extremist pro-abortion political ideology, banning the pro-life counterpoint and life-saving…
Papal trip tests limits of being a ‘pontifex’
Junno Arocho Esteves On paper, Pope Francis’ apostolic visit to Hungary and Slovakia was pretty standard as papal trips go: outdoor Masses, meeting with dignitaries, visiting poor and marginalised populations and of course, answering questions from journalists aboard the papal flight. Nevertheless, issues such as vaccine scepticism, migration, same-sex “marriage,” and denying Communion to Catholics…