When the late Pope John Paul ascended to the Papacy, he said that Europe must breathe through its two lungs, the tradition of the Western Roman rite and that of the Eastern Orthodox rite as well. Although I could not agree with him more, I would add the 50 million members of the Orient Orthodox…
Lebanon will soon have its own ‘camino,’ according to the Association of Pilgrimages in Lebanon (APL). Caminos Lebanon, unveiled on March 28 in Bkerké, aims to revitalise Christian religious tourism through a network of pilgrimage routes connecting the country’s historic and spiritual sites. The initiative, endorsed by Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi and Tourism…
Viva la Poesia!, edited by Antonio Spadaro SJ (Edizioni Ares Rome, €18.50); an English language version for the international market is due soon. While the Pope was recovering during his recent stay in hospital yet another new book bearing his name appeared in the book shops of Rome. Entitled Long Live Poetry! it focuses on…
Does loneliness affect your parish? A strange thing happened to me last month: three of the people I used to visit on my First Friday calls all went to the same nursing home, within a few weeks. That meant that my call list in one of my church areas was instantly reduced to zero. The…
A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar’s Mandalay-Sagaing region March 28, causing widespread destruction and a rising death toll. As of March 29, at least 1,000 people had died in Myanmar, with hundreds more missing. The death toll may surpass 10,000 according to US Geological Survey’s estimates. In neighbouring Thailand, Bangkok city authorities said so far six…
The release of Seong-ho Jay Hang’s The King of Kings (PG) makes perfect timing for Easter. Telling the story of Christ in animated form through the voices of household names like Oscar Isaac, Kenneth Branagh and Uma Thurman, it has Charles Dickens, of all people, as the narrator. Many people won’t be aware that Dickens…
A recent analysis of U.S. survey data found that children bring ‘high levels of happiness’ to activities like mealtimes, socialising, and traveling. Ken Burchfiel of the Institute for Family Studies analysed American Time Use Survey (ATUS) data, showing that everyday activities are more enjoyable when children are present. He noted that a 2013 Time article…
Premiering on Good Friday, April 18, Sins of Ireland explores the legacy of the Catholic Church in Ireland through the lens of confession. Directed by Alex Fegan (Older Than Ireland, The Irish Pub), the documentary features fifteen priests reflecting on a sacrament that once shaped Irish identity but has since faded. Confession, first introduced in…
Holy Communion fair helps children in need Cork based charity Cork Penny Dinners hosted their 11th edition of the ‘Holy Communion Fair’ in Sacred Heart Church, Wilton Road on March 23, to guarantee families struggling will have all they need for their child’s Confirmation. They offered everything for free: dresses, suits, socks, underwear, accessories, prayer…
The Sorrow and the Loss: The Tragic Shadow Cast by the Troubles on the Lives of Women, by Martin Dillon (Merrion Press, €19.99 / £15.50). This book provides an account of the grief, sorrow, hurt and tragedy visited on women by the so-called ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland. Reading it brought to mind those scenes…
Peter Costello
Aubrey Malone