Italy’s constitutional court on February 15 blocked a referendum to decriminalise physician-assisted suicide in the country, citing inadequate legal protections for the weak and vulnerable. The leadership of the Italian bishops’ conference welcomed the court’s decision in a statement. The court’s pronouncement “is a very specific invitation… to offer the support necessary to overcome or…
Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin joined the people of Tullysaran, Co. Tyrone, February 11 to mark the beginning of the centenary year at the Church of the Immaculate Conception. The Archbishop was joined by Cardinal Sean Brady, Fr Peter McAnenly Adm, Fr Barry Matthews CC and Deacon Malachy McElmeel. During the Mass, the Archbishop presented…
Rhina Guidos The load of worries carried on the shoulders of José Gregorio Guarenas, coordinator of Human Rights for the Vicariate of Caracas at the Archdiocese of Venezuela, is heavy. His work doesn’t solely focus on concerns affecting the life of members of the Catholic Church, such as recent cases of nuns facing obstacles in…
Incoming pastoral workers have been learning much from a Spiritan-run orientation course as they prepare to minister to Ireland, writes Jason Osborne The Holy Ghost Fathers, more commonly known as the Spiritans these days, have been playing host to a number of Ireland’s incoming pastoral ministry workers, priests and sisters alike. As part of their…
The Oratory of Light: Poems in the Spirit of St Columba by James Harpur (Wild Goose Publications, £7.99; for further information contact.iona.books.com) A while ago poet Gabriel Fitzmaurice writing in these pages passed on a remark of John F. Deane “that the new Christianity [of today] is to be a daring adventure requiring a new…
Personal Profile Charlotte Gormley’s faith is grounded in her experience of well-run youth retreats. Having been raised in a Catholic family, retreats during her teenage years reinvigorated her faith. Now, having taken on the role of faith formation co-ordinator for the parishes of Banagher and Claudy, she hopes to give back what she has received.…
Reading Seosamh Ó Dufaigh’s magnificent book, and his discussions of the difficulty of researching the first centuries of Christianity in Ireland I wondered if a solution to the problems they present might not be partially found already. We have of course Pádraig Ó Riain’s Dictionary of Irish Saints (Four Courts Press, 2011, still available at €65.00/£55.00), a fine…
A new book on An Garda Síochána reveals how McQuaid’s intervention saved the jobs of sacked Gardaí, writes Ruadhán Jones Archbishop John Charles McQuaid is a bit of a bogeyman of Ireland’s Catholic past. A controversial figure, he is likely to be remembered as much for his political interventions as for his influence on Irish…
Notebook Can I begin this month by sharing a brain teaser liberally mixed in with a fair amount of name-dropping. Last week I celebrated Mass in four different countries. However in all four countries the congregation was made up of pretty much the same people, the choir consisted of a list of Irish household names…
First diocesan pilgrimages to Lourdes in three years announced In-person diocesan pilgrimages to Our Lady of Lourdes shrine in France are underway again for the first time since the pandemic started. The dioceses of Derry and Down and Connor have announced the dates for their 2022 diocesan pilgrimages, which will take place in July. The…
Peter Costello
Ruadhán Jones