Ireland’s coming population crisis will not be solved by secular people new study claims Young people who embrace religions like Christianity that strongly value marriage and having children will form the future core of Ireland’s dwindling population as their secular counterparts are less likely to marry and have children, the Iona Institute has said. Ireland’s…
For our new series on priests and the challenges in their busy lives, Garry O’Sullivan sat down for an exclusive interview with Fr Ron Rolheiser speaking on this topic. Fr Rolheiser, could you speak a little bit about the state of priesthood, the challenges for priests these days? “Well, one of the big challenges is…
Relentless Ministry – In a new series written by Priests, we will explore what most priests describe as “Relentless Ministry” and the challenges of being a priest in Ireland today Speaking to priests recently, the key take-away is how busy they all are. In one group of priests– a quick survey showed– none of them…
The Irish clergy community in LA is pretty small and tightknit and are rallying around those affected by the fires, says Fr Jarlaith Cunnane from Sligo, Pastor at St Cornelius’ Church in Los Angeles speaking to The Irish Catholic. “Apocalyptic is the word that gets throw around. In scriptures it refers to disaster and a…
President Michael D. Higgins in his speech at the BT Young Scientist &Technology Exhibition promoted the thinking of Jesuit scientist and theologian/mystic Pierre Teilhard de Chardin as an example of the potential interplay of science and ethics. “Science offers great possibilities that have a pivotal role to play and, at its best, in responding to…
In March 2021, the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference announced a Synodal Pathway for the Catholic Church in Ireland. This pathway has overlapped with the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission,” which, after three years of deliberations, concluded in Rome last October. According…
Garry O’Sullivan sat down with columnist and retreat giver Fr Ron Rolheiser and asked him about Catholics and the reading of scripture. G: Often people see some of the things you say somehow against Church teaching, is there a problem for many Catholics in their reading and understanding of the bible? Fr Rolheiser: I…
The Catholic bishops at their winter general meeting have called for the Synodal Pathway which began in 2021 and which they called a “providential development”, to “now continue” and “pick up speed during 2025”. The Synodal Pathway was essentially on hold until the Synod in Rome ended in October, however Synodal maestro Cardinal Grech has…
An independent major external review has said that “the Church has a good story to tell about what it has implemented and achieved in relation to the safeguarding of children over the last 20 years…and “it is now regarded by some commentators as an exemplar in the Catholic Church globally”. The review went on to…
Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry flew to Rome in recent weeks to meet the head of the Dicastery for Bishops Bishop Robert Francis Prevost O.S.A.(Augustinian) to petition for a change in Vatican policy towards plans to merge the dioceses of Derry and Raphoe, The Irish Catholic understands. It is believed that Bishop McKeown went to…