In the worst of pandemic times many people got comfortable with online Masses and for sure they were a brilliant opportunity to engage, but some got to like it so much that they didn’t return to in-person Masses when they could, finding it more meaningful at home. But that deprives them of community and the…
The Sunday Gospel A man in the crowd asked Jesus to plead with his brother over sharing an inheritance. Jesus replied, “my friend, who appointed me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?” (Luke 12:13). Jesus heard not only his plea but also the inner voice of a soul too concerned about material possessions. “Watch, and be on…
Dear Editor, Ten dioceses have divested from fossil fuel [The Irish Catholic – July 14, 2022] but we need to see the rest up their game and do the same. In Europe we are facing a huge energy crisis due to our reliance on fossil fuels. It is easy to point the finger and say…
Charities disappointed by Syria border decision Irish charities, including Trócaire and Goal, expressed disappointment at the UN’s decision to keep the “vital” Syria-Turkey border open for just six more months. The charities warned that the fact the agreement was only to keep the border crossing open for six months makes it difficult to plan for…
Booth by Karen Joy Fowler (Serpent’s Tail, £14.99) Booth, by the American author Karen Joy Fowler, is a novel about the family of actor Junius Brutus Booth. The most famous – or infamous – of his children was John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of Abraham Lincoln. Booth père (1796-1852) was an Englishman who abandoned a wife and…
‘Family Love – a Vocation and a Path to Holiness’ was the theme of the Tenth World Meeting of Families that took place in Rome recently from June 22 to 26. Here I would like to reflect on one aspect of this theme, namely the family as both having a vocation but also being the…
Helen Vysotska Can I share a hotel room with my boyfriend? Sharing a hotel room with your boyfriend/girlfriend is not the same as sharing a bed with them on holidays. If it is the latter then you are committing sin and lying with your bodies that you are both married and you are not. Even…
Reverend Dr Eugene Duffy, a lecturer of Theology and Religious Studies at Mary Immaculate College Limerick, spoke of his admiration for the synodal meetings held in Ireland’s dioceses and praised the spirit and nature of the discussions thus far. “The summaries have been very impressive and I suppose it has been reassuring that what we…
The Vatican has warned that the synodal process in Germany cannot adopt new approaches to the Church’s teaching on doctrines and morals. It will be seen by observers as a shot across the bow of other synodal processes insisting that they not veer from traditional Catholic understandings. “It seems necessary to make it clear that…
For the second time in just over a decade, Irish parishioners could be facing changes in the words used during the Mass. Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian SJ told The Irish Catholic that he would “love” to see some of the prayers at the Mass changed to make some of the language less “awkward”. “Our…
Brendan O’Regan
Michael Kelly
Chai Brady