Senior management at Mary Immaculate College (MIC) have remained tight lipped over staff concerns about a suspended recruitment process. The college has refused to respond to repeated queries from The Irish Catholic as staff said they were “frustrated” that they had little opportunity for input into the recruitment process for a new head of theology.…
Month: July 2023
Ireland must use ‘moral authority’ to speak up for persecuted Christians
Ireland must use its “moral authority” to speak up for persecuted Christians, politicians have said, urging the Tánaiste to raise the issue at September’s UN Assembly. Ireland must lend its voice to calls to end Christian persecution, the former Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan told The Irish Catholic. His comments come after representatives of…
Sex and money…the two big temptations
Sex and money: two of the major temptations that lure men and women into a fall. Perhaps previous generations might have said – two of the weapons used by the devil to entrap humans into the error of their ways. Interestingly, the phrase ‘struggling with his demons’ is still very much in use. On both…
Call in ambassadors of countries persecuting Christians charity urges
An Irish charity has urged the Government to call ambassadors of countries where persecution of Christians is prevalent before an Oireachtas committee and challenge them on their record on religious freedom. Church in Chains, a charity that fights Christian persecution, said politicians should call the ambassadors of China, India, Iran, Nigeria and Pakistan to attend…
US bishops: abuse allegations down but challenges remain to protect vulnerable
Abuse allegations against Catholic clergy and religious in the US declined last year, but challenges remain regarding protecting vulnerable adults and ensuring online safety, according to the US conference of Catholic bishops (USCCB). On July 14, the USCCB’s Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection released the ‘2022 Annual Report – Findings and Recommendations on the…
Would they care more if the nuns could be blamed?
The appalling abuse of girls by gangs of predatory men, or Tusla’s failure to protect vulnerable children in their care, makes for uncomfortable reading. That’s understandable. We’d all rather talk about the weather or RTÉ’s latest payments shenanigans. But there comes a point when it is incumbent on those in authority to take action –…
The angelic doctor Aquinas at 700
Maria Wiering “He was the world’s flower and glory, and has rendered superfluous the writings of doctors (of theology) who shall come after him.” St Albert the Great is said to have exclaimed these words upon the news of the death of St Thomas Aquinas, his former student, in 1274 at age 48. July 18 marked the…
19 religious orders to attend World Youth Day
Representatives of 19 religious orders from across Ireland will be attending World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon from August 2-6, according to the Association of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland (AMRI). They will be part of the approximately 1,400 pilgrims who have signed up so far. For the first time AMRI will lead a group…
Diocese of Dromore extends redress scheme by 6 months
The Diocese of Dromore has decided to extend its redress scheme for victims of sexual abuse for a further six months, until March 29, 2024. The scheme was established in September 2021 and focuses on those who suffered sexual abuse by members of the clergy under the authority of the diocese. It aims to offer…
How an artist responds to senseless violence
The Pianist, about a Polish Jew’s experience of WWII, was a bit of a passion project for its Polish-Jewish director, Roman Polanski. Since coming out in 2002, it has been hailed as a classic. It stars Adrien Brody as pianist and composer Władysław Szpilman, a real-life Holocaust survivor who wrote a memoir also called The…