Mary Robinson appointed as UN Special Envoy for Climate Change
Colm Fitzpatrick
Vandals attack Dublin cemetery
Gardaí in Dublin are investigating a vandal attack on a cemetery in the city in which the graves of deceased babies were damaged. The attack, on the Dean’s Grange cemetery in the south of the capital is believed to have occurred sometime during the night of July 3-4 and saw a number of headstones badly…
Call for inquiry on Protestant homes
Members of the Bethany Survivors group have called on the Minister for Children to include a number of Protestant-run mother and baby homes in the Commission of Investigation. As he draws up the proposed terms of reference for that commission, prompted by the revelations around the Tuam mother and baby home, Minister Charlie Flanagan met…
Dominicans welcome two new priests
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said he rejoiced with the Dominican community in Ireland as he ordained two of their members to the priesthood at the weekend. Fr Luuk Jansen and Fr Colm Mannion were ordained in front of a packed congregation at St Saviour’s Church, in Dublin’s Dominick Street on Saturday. Fr Jansen, originally from the…
Difficulties with the Roman Missal
Dear Editor, The logic with which Fr Fergus Ryan explained the three-part structure of the ‘proper prayers’ in the Roman Missal in The Irish Catholic of June 26 is admirable. However, those of us who are used to the natural rhythm of the English vernacular (i.e. the language of the ‘home-born slave’), find it difficult…
The good done by our religious
Dear Editor, Sarah Carey’s article, ‘Wild exaggerations piled on Tuam story’ (IC 12/6/14) links nicely with David Quinn’s statement in the issue of June ’26: ’There is a willingness to think the worst about Catholic Ireland.” Sarah starts well by pointing out the exaggerations in the reporting of the Tuam story although she implies that…
Coverage of Iraq’s Christians
Dear Editor, One again The Irish Catholic leads the field, this time in keeping attention focused on the plight of Christians in Iraq, ‘World is turning ‘blind eye’ to Iraq’s Christians (IC3/7/14). It never fails to baffle me that the world’s press, in its drive to fill the 24-7 news agenda has not, even from…
Compensating the Magdalen victims
Dear editor, I am writing in response to the article by Cathal Barry titled ‘Govt wants Pope to make Magdalen nuns pay out’ (IC 3/7/14). I agree with Lucinda Creighton that this would be a positive step. It is not enough to make apologies. Those who have been affected by the Magdalen laundries should be…
Respect for Mary McAleese
Dear Editor, I have been privileged to know the former President, Mrs McAleese, since 1995. So I cannot stand idly by and pass unmoved when I see her good name and reputation vilified by your columnist Mary Kenny – ‘Mary Kenny knows how to craft a headline’ (IC 26/6/2014). I would never, ever accuse Mary…
Cowardice on abortion
Dear Editor, Regarding the publication by the Department of Health of the abortion guidelines to accompany the so-called Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act 2013, the Fine Gael/Labour Government have done exactly what some members of the pro-life movement predicted: the Government waited until after the 2014 Local and European Elections before publishing their life-ending…