Barb Fraze A bishop in north central India urged Catholics throughout the nation to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament for seven days to help end the worsening ethnic violence in Manipur, a state in the country’s northeast, bordering Myanmar. The situation “is worsening day by day in Manipur … it’s literally burning,” Bishop Chacko…
Embrace synod to become ‘listening Church’ – Bishop Connell
Ireland’s newest bishop has said that the synodal path inaugurated by Pope Francis is an opportunity for the Church to become more participatory. Speaking after his ordination in St Mel’s Cathedral in Longford on Sunday, Bishop Paul Connell, new Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnois, said: “Placing our faith and trust in God involves, above all,…
Being fearless in our Faith
The Sunday Gospel, Deacon Greg Kandra Jer 20:10-13 Ps 69:8-10, 14, 17, 33-35 Rom 5:12-15 Mt 10:26-33 How is your Ordinary Time going? After the intensity of Lent and the jubilation of Easter we may think this period is relatively uneventful, but think again. On the 12th Sunday of a time we call “ordinary,” we find ourselves…
Growing in love of the Good Shepherd
The Sunday Gospel 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Ex 19:2-6a Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5 Rom 5:6-11 Mt 9:36-10:8 The Roman catacombs are unique, unlike any other place, where the faith, courage and love of the early Christians is evoked powerfully. In these ancient networks of tunnels and chambers deep beneath the eternal city of Rome one encounters…
Nicaragua dictatorship announces ‘voluntary dissolution’ of university forming seminarians
The Nicaraguan Ministry of the Interior (Migob) announced in official media the “voluntary dissolution” of the Immaculate Conception Catholic University of the Archdiocese of Managua (UCICAM), which functioned as a formation centre for seminarians from the Nicaraguan capital. According to ministerial agreement 77-2023-OSFL, published May 18 in La Gaceta, the regime’s official newspaper, the minister…
What does it look like to hold a consistent life ethic?
A consistent life ethic takes us beyond ideas of the deserving and undeserving poor and vulnerable, writes Aimee Murphy When approached to write this piece, I first considered expounding upon my understanding of all the various issues that the consistent life ethic touches on: ending abortion, war, the death penalty, euthanasia, embryo destruction, police brutality,…
Our failure to recover the truth will continue to undermine the foundations of peace
Good Friday at 25 Reconciliation was not an optional extra in the Gospel message and teaching of Jesus: it was a core value, writes Archbishop Eamon Martin Two commentators on a recent radio interview were discussing our historic peace agreement of April 10, 1998. I found it quite sad that throughout the entire discussion each used…
Easter begins in a night of light and hope
Easter is a reminder that Christians are called to be lights in an often dark and weary world, writes David Gibson “This is the night,” the Church sings out again and again in a poetic hymn dating far back in Christian history called the ‘Exsultet’. It is heard each year in Catholic Churches during the Easter Vigil…
Carlow College must address sustainability as integration talks continue – minister
Catholic third-level institution Carlow College, St Patrick’s must address its “overall sustainability”, as engagement on integration continues, Minister Simon Harris has said. The college is engaging in talks with South East Technological University (SETU) on potential incorporation, after the Department for Higher Education increased funding to help “stabilising the cash flow position while the college…
First Irish person appointed to Vatican Marian academy
The President of the Legion of Mary, Mary Murphy, has become the first Irish person appointed to the Pontifical Marian Academy International (PAMI). Ms Murphy said it was a “privilege and an honour” to accept the role, announced to her by theologian William Thomas on behalf of PAMI. “I hope I can do it justice,”…