Month: November 2021

Partition was never envisaged as a final settlement

The View Pope Francis, meditating recently on the problematic history of Latin America including his own country of Argentina in its evolution over the past 500 years, and especially the treatment of native peoples, ran into criticism from Spanish conservatives. They hold that Spain gave Latin America (except Brazil) its language and Catholic religion, and…

Only quarter of new PSNI recruits Catholic

Only 24% of new recruits to the PSNI (Police Service Northern Ireland) have come from a Catholic background according to the latest statistics. Catholic officers The figures demonstrate ongoing problems hiring Catholic officers. Of the 193 officers recruited in 2020, only 46 were Catholic while 144 (75%) were protestant. The PSNI has stated a commitment…

Memento mori this November

The Catholic Church has always embraced meditation on death, and November is the month most associated with that, writes Jason Osborne The leaves continue to fall from the trees as nature uses the rest of autumn to prepare for winter, a fitting natural symbol of death, which is at the forefront of Catholic minds in the…

Natural revelation, from many angles, speaks to all humanity

Every Bush Aflame: Science, God, and the Natural World by John Feehan (Veritas, €16.99/£14.61) Dr Christopher Moriarty The first creation story in the Bible – the ‘six day’ account – is remarkable in being, in its essentials, a scientific document. Its writer observed nature and made deductions from his observations. Above all, he postulated the need…

Authorities kidnap Catholic bishop in China

Chinese authorities have kidnapped Catholic Bishop Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou, according to reports emerging from China. The Vatican confirmed Bishop Shao to lead the diocese in September 2016, following the death of his predecessor, Bishop Vincent Zhu Weifang, who was imprisoned for 16 years. The 58-year-old prelate was taken by authorities “on vacation,” adding that…

Supporting healthy hearts and healthy bodies

Legacy Supplement 2021 – A Future Full of Hope Legacy donations can help charities like the Irish Heart Foundation and Special Olympics Ireland after a devastating pandemic, and long into the future, writes Chai Brady The vulnerable in Irish society can be forgotten during times of crisis, which has devastating effects, not least for those…