The elderly feel “vulnerable and worry” when they hear talk of assisted suicide and euthanasia, the Irish bishops said in their ‘Day for Life’ message. In a statement read out in parishes across the country on October 2, the bishops warned that many elderly feel like they are “treated as a burden or a ‘bed-blocker’”.…
Governments and sporting organisations must ensure equal participation and access to sport for all children, not just the able bodied, Gerard Gallagher hears Recently an international summit on sport was held in the Vatican under the theme ‘Sport for All’, September 29-30. Pope Francis addressed the attendees and spoke of “promoting the notion of sport…
Personal Profile Long before she became a nun, Sr Helen Culhane RSM wanted to study nursing. Luck didn’t favour her initially and she settled into another career. But after joining the Sisters of Mercy, new doors opened to her and she has spent many years accompanying the sick, the dying and the bereaved. Sr Culhane…
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega blasted Catholic leaders as a “gang of murderers,” in comments amping up persecution of the Church and scorning Pope Francis’ call for dialogue in the Central American country. In a fiery address, Ortega took aim at Nicaragua’s Catholic bishops for promoting democracy as an exit from the country’s political crisis, alleging…
An Irish sister has been hailed for her “significant” work in education as she was awarded an honorary doctorate in Malaysia. Sr Enda Ryan FMM (Francisan Missionaries of Mary) from Galbally, Co. Limerick worked in the country for 67 years. She received the doctorate in humanities from Taylor’s University. Speaking at the ceremony, Sr Enda…
Sixty years on from the Cuban Missile Crisis, Pope’s plea for cool heads is timely, writes David Quinn It is 60 years ago this month since the Cuban missile crisis, which brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Older readers will remember the events of those fateful few weeks well. When the Cold…
Russia’s bishops said Catholics face dilemmas responding to a mass call-up for the war in Ukraine, and they urged President Vladimir Putin’s government to recognise conscientious objection. “The confrontation in Ukraine has grown into a full-scale military conflict and already claimed thousands of lives, undermining trust and unity between countries and peoples, and threatening the…
The Way We Were: Catholic Ireland Since 1922 by Mary Kenny (Columba Books, €19.99/£17.99) Mary Kenny’s new book is of great importance, and in its arrangement will enlighten many about what has become a controversial aspect of our recent past. The first section deals with the course of Irish history, basically since the founding of…
Missionaries and religious have launched a five-year plan to future proof religious life, writes Ruadhán Jones ‘A future with hope’ – this is the title of a new five-year plan launched last week that aims to chart the future for religious and missionary life in Ireland. It comes at a time when the majority of Irish…
The patriarchs and leaders of Christian Churches in Jerusalem praised Jordan’s King Abdullah II for turning a spotlight on what they say is “the deteriorating situation of Christian basic human rights” in the city and throughout the Holy Land. The king, in his speech to the UN General Assembly September 20, said, “Today, Christianity in…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady
David Quinn
Peter Costello