Debate over John Paul II’s handling of abuse during his time as archbishop threatens to further tear Poland in two, writes Jason Osborne It’s hard to overstate the place St Pope John Paul II occupies in the Polish psyche and society, as few other countries have comparably titanic figures at all, never mind within living…
In my mind, Pope Francis’s 2018 visit is inextricably connected to the then recent referendum defeat. I had only come into active engagement with the Faith as the vote drew near, and while it didn’t go our way and ushered in a dark new era, it brought Christians of all stripes together as little has…
Despite his parents being told at birth that it was likely he would never speak, Belfast-born actor James Martin became the first person with Down syndrome to win an Academy Award at the weekend. An Irish Goodbye won the Oscar for best live action short film. The film follows the story of two estranged brothers,…
Who else could feature as the saint of the week but our very own patron saint, St Patrick? Fortunately, we know a good deal about this archetypal holy man as he wrote two accounts that we have access to today – quite unique for that region at that time, as texts are scarcer than historians…
One of the things that most hinders the Church in its mission and makes people reluctant to interact with it is the real presence of sin in those who profess to be Catholic. Every person walking the earth is a sinner, but those who claim to be adhering to the heights of goodness, truth and…
Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said that his department will consider how best to “most effectively” continue Ireland’s work on freedom of religion and belief in light of the findings of the Church in Chains Global Guide’s contents and findings. Church in Chains recently launched their 4th Global Guide which lists 60 countries where 200 million Christians…
Catholic campaigners and charities have been critical of Government plans to end the ban on evictions at the end of this month. Speaking Monday night on Upfront with Katie Hannon, veteran advocate for the homeless Fr Peter McVerry said he’s increasingly coming to see the Government as being on the side of “the owners of…
Famed singer and Eurovision winner Dana Rosemary Scallon is set to release a new song this month in honour of St Patrick at The Saint Patrick Centre in Downpatrick. Written and recorded by Dana, Light The Fire recalls how St Patrick defiantly lit the flame on the Hill at Slane in 433AD. Speaking about the…
Irish attendees at the Flame National Youth Congress in London likened it to Electric Picnic, saying that people were “buzzing” and that a similar event in Ireland is needed as we have “nothing for young people”. Orgaised by CYMFed, the Catholic Youth Ministry Federation of England and Wales, Flame took place Saturday, March 4 and saw just under…
Former NPHET member Prof. Martin Cormican has said that his experience during the pandemic was that calls for a return to religious services were muted compared to other sectors. He also said that the prioritising of other things ahead of Mass is fundamentally a question of what value society places on religion. Speaking to The Irish…