Dr Greg Popcak Lent is a time of reparation – a season of sorrow for sins committed and expressions of a sincere desire to reform our lives. But what does it mean to be sorry? What are the components of real remorse? Whether we are expressing sorrow to God, a spouse, family member or friend,…
Jonah McKeown Russian leaders last Friday announced the death of Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition politician to President Vladimir Putin, in a Siberian prison. Navalny, 47, had been serving a 19-year sentence for alleged extremism and years of criticism of the authoritarian Putin in a harsh penal colony north of the Arctic Circle. Navalny’s political opposition to Putin…
Fr Raphael Gallagher There will be a lot of opportunities to vote in the coming 12 months. Dates for Constitutional amendments, local elections, European parliament are already set in place. Dáil and Seanad elections are at most a year away. There are many issues to think through when we vote. One question worth considering at…
Former Taoiseach John Bruton, who was laid to rest on Saturday at the age of 76, has been praised as a compassionate statesman and a committed Christian. A regular contributor to The Irish Catholic, here are a selection of his views the defining issues in Ireland over the last decade. Former Taoiseach hits out at…
Sacraments must be celebrated ‘validly’ – bishop The sacraments need to be celebrated “validly” as well as nicely, Bishop Kevin Doran has said after the Vatican released a new document on the importance of the celebrating the sacraments well. Gestis verbisque (Deeds and Words), released by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF),…
Heraldry is an omnipresent but little understood aspect of Catholic symbolism, writes Michael Heinlein Ecclesiastical heraldry is both familiar and mysterious. Frequently seen in one form or another, coats of arms pervade our Catholic culture in numerous ways: on letters and newspapers, diocesan websites and social media pages, in Roman churches and diocesan cathedrals. Most…
As local and European elections loom, pro-life supporters can play a part in influencing the outcome writes Eilís Mulroy A recent Sunday Independent poll asked members of the public what were the issues of most concern to them and which will influence how they vote at election time. Issues like immigration, health and housing were top…
Carl Olson Pop quiz: How many commandments did Jesus give? It’s a tricky question, since we know Jesus made clear he came to fulfil the law and that his teaching and actions were aimed at the completion – not the abolition – of the commandments (cf. Mt 5:17-20). But what commandments did he give? What…
Recently elected Bishop of Down and Connor, Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ spoke with Sr Denise Boyle, an Irish Franciscan sister who is the Director of the Global Action Programme of Mercy International Association about the impact of synodality on the Church’s mission, the role he played at the Synod in Rome as an elected member…
Sr Alicia Torres Who am I? This question lurks at the core of every human heart. So often the real answer is blurred by responses we so readily grasp after, and yet time and again fail to satisfy. One response in particular, I think, gnaws at so many of us today: “I am important.” Of…