The latest round of Irish diocesan submissions to the global Synodal Pathway renewed an urgent call for formation – adult formation, youth formation, seminary formation, formation across the board! Without formation it will be practically impossible to embed synodality or co-responsibility in the Church in Ireland, because nobody knows what exactly they mean, dioceses told…
Dear Editor, I am writing to commend the courageous work of priests like Fr Ademir Marques OFM Cap., who selflessly minister to individuals experiencing homelessness and poverty, often facing dangerous situations in the process. The recent incident at the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin, where Fr Marques was attacked – thankfully not badly injured –…
“That blasted book near killed me,” John McGahern said to me of his final novel, That They May Face the Rising Sun. He put more of himself into it than any of his other ones. That’s saying something. It has now been made into a film (Cert 15). I didn’t ‘get’ the book when I…
The Sunday Gospel Scripture Reflection for May 5, 2024, Sixth Sunday of Easter Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4 1 Jn 4:7-10 Jn 15:9-17 In a digital culture dominated by social media and technological means of communication, the idea of friendship can often be reduced to superficial exchanges. Friendship is measured by numbers…
At a recent press conference Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, speaking about the Vatican’s Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (as discussed last week in these pages), went out of his way to remind the reporters of the international arts press that it is 60 years since Pier…
I became a priest in 1984, 40 years ago this year. In that year, 44 of us were ordained after studies at Maynooth. By my reckoning, 20 of us still serve in active ministry in this country. Many classmates have met up every year since for a reunion, each organised in a different part of…
Fr Shay Cullen It was a shocking and painful ‘no’ vote by the United States to veto a draft declaration at the United Nations (UN) Security Council recognising Palestine as a full member of the United Nations. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the US veto and said it was “unfair, unethical, and unjustified”. Some…
Are content-creating children safe in the online sphere? Are they protected from being hypersexualised by thousands of viewers? Are brands using ‘child influencers’ encouraging an unhealthy industry where parents ‘manage’ their child’s time and money for their personal gain? What are the long term psychological consequences of such an upbringing? Regular hosts Brandon Scott and…
Beginning in the early hours of this morning a major operation was launched to relocate hundreds of asylum seekers camped outside the international protection office on Mount Street, Dublin 2. A cohort of gardaí cordoned off Mount Street as council workers cleared and cleaned the area, the smell of bleach prominent. A dump truck was…
Aubrey Malone
Peter Costello
Chai Brady