The government of President Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, August 23, revoked the legal personhood of the Society of Jesus and ordered the transfer of all its assets to the state. The move by the dictatorship takes place amid a growing wave of harassment against the religious order. According to ministerial agreement 105-2023-OSFL, published August 23…
A People under Siege: the Unionists of Northern Ireland, from Partition to Brexit and Beyond, by Aaron Edwards (Merrion Press, €19.99) A touchy defensiveness, if not downright paranoia, has often seemed to be the defining character of Ulster Unionism since it first began to emerge as a distinct political phenomenon in the 19th Century. Aaron…
Deacon Greg Kandra September 3 Jer 20:7-9 Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9 Rom 12:1-2 Mt 16:21-27 It’s probably the last thing Peter ever expected to hear. There, in that moment, Jesus Christ was speaking of suffering and death, how he would be killed and yet be raised. What Jesus was describing was shocking. Peter, hearing…
Dear Editor, A World Youth Day hosted in Ireland will most certainly revitalise and strengthen the Faith. The recent experiences of Irish bishops at World Youth Day in Lisbon have highlighted the transformative power such an event can have. The impact of witnessing more than 1.5 million young Catholics gather in Lisbon, united in their…
The theme of this year’s ‘Season of Creation’ is ‘Let Justice and Peace Flow’ – inspired by the words of the prophet Amos: “Let justice flow like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” (5:24). What struck me from this image of flowing water is not only how water symbolises justice and peace but how…
I collect ironies, I even issue an #ironyalert on X/Twitter (ex-Twitter?) when I find them. There are some striking examples in relation to communication. Take the mobile phone for example – it promotes huge communication between friends, but can destroy communication with those who are in our company. How many times have we seen families…
More than 100 young people attended a Marian conference in All Hallows, Dublin, to hear talks from poets, priests and theologians on the theme ‘Under Mary’s Mantle’. The conference, organised by the Legion of Mary, took place August 19-20, with guest speakers including poet and convert Sally Read, Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan, Dr William A Thomas,…
Ireland’s national Eucharistic and Marian Shrine has reported an increase in pilgrims and visitors this summer, after a sluggish post-pandemic restart last year and two years when on-off Covid-19 restrictions devastated numbers. Tens of thousands of pilgrims flocked to Knock in Co. Mayo over the past two weeks for the traditional novena, with rector Fr…
The example of “messenger for God” Donal Walsh, the teen whose faith and poise as he battled cancer captivated Ireland, is inspiring interest in the Faith among young people today, his mother has said. Young people are seeking “guidance for their faith and spirituality and see an example in Donal that they can relate to”,…
It would be “foolhardy” to deny that there are “aspects of sectarianism” in the PSNI, the chairman of the North’s Catholic Police Guild (CPG) has warned. Speaking to The Irish Catholic Supt Gerry Murray said no Catholic police officer should have to deal with sectarian comments. This comes after a recent article detailed sectarian slurs…
Brendan O’Regan
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady