Dear Editor, I was shocked and disappointed on reading Dr John Murray’s letter (IC 3/10/13); shocked at the denigratory tone he adopted towards Pope Francis, and disappointed that a person in his position in the Mater Dei Institute of Education is forming opinions of Pope Francis through such a narrow lens of “his now-famous” interview,…
Fr Flannery is not a victim
Dear Editor, I am writing to respond to the letter from Jarlath Vaughan (‘It is wrong to silence Fr Flannery’ IC 10/10/13). Firstly, I’ll say that I have followed the story of Fr Flannery quite closely since it began to unfold. At this stage, talk of Fr Flannery as a victim of the “evil Vatican”…
Misleading on mental health
Dear Editor, Mary Kenny’s article entitled ‘What liberal’s don’t report about mental health’ (IC 7/10/13) is not only inaccurate but unacceptably stigmatising and serves only to propagate the myths and mistruths that link violence to people with experience of mental health problems. It is hugely concerning how Mary Kenny bases her entire piece around two…
Mary Kenny and The Quiet Man
Dear Editor, I usually enjoy reading Mary Kenny’s weekly column. I was, however, disappointed to read her criticism of the classic film The Quiet Man (IC 10/10/13). She sounded a particularly discordant and sour note. It is a little late in the day for her to reveal that the ‘archaic’ story was not politically correct…
Columban and Ireland’s Christian legacy
Dear Editor, Fr Sean McDonagh celebrated St Columban in your issue of October 10, and rightly so. This was the time when the Irish were the saviours of Europe, because of the great work our missionaries did in Scotland, and in western Europe as a whole. It was not just that they brought the Faith…
Irish Missionaries lead Korea military protest
Every day at 11 o’clock outside Gangjeong village on the spectacular coastline of Jeju island, a long line of cement trucks, serving the construction site for a military naval base, grinds to a halt. For the next hour none will enter or leave the compound. Outside the six-metre high metal fence, their way is blocked…
Middle East ‘Christian exodus’ underway – report
A Christian exodus of “biblical proportions” from across the Middle East now threatens the survival of the faith in the region, a new report reveals. Persecuted and Forgotten has been compiled by the international charity group Aid to the Church in Need and, among 30 countries covered worldwide, details the deteriorating situation for Christian communities…
Catholic nun declared ‘Righteous’ for Jewish efforts
Israel has declared an Italian Catholic nun ‘Righteous Among Nations’ for her life-risking efforts to save Jews during World War II. Mother Josephine Biviglia was abbess of the Sisters of Saint Quirico in Assisi during the war and is reported to have used her position to direct the community convent’s use as a place of…
Pope moved Lenten Retreat location
For the first time, the annual Lenten Retreat for the Roman Curia will take place outside Rome. The decision to move the retreat has been taken by Pope Francis himself, who has explained his decision as a desire to find a location which would encourage silence and contemplation beyond the work settings of the Vatican.…
The Pope and the Devil
Pope Francis is unequivocal about the real face of evil, writes David Quinn