The death of Pope Benedict on New Year’s Eve gives rise to many possible consequences for the Church. There were stark differences between the papacy of Pope Benedict and Pope Francis, though both based their foundations very solidly on love – the love of God for his people, and both focused on the need for…
The View Two thousand years ago a young man and a young woman made a long journey on foot to Bethlehem. She was pregnant – nearing her time. They must have been very concerned as they plodded on, the woman riding on a donkey, wondering whether they would be able to get accommodation. Would it be warm and…
The View Last Saturday night I went with the Families of the Disappeared to Oristown, Co. Meath for a Mass commemorating all those who had been abducted and murdered by the IRA and who are known as ‘the Disappeared’. This is where the bodies of three of those who were abducted and murdered by the…
The View We live in a world which can seem almost as if it is imploding. On the global front we see developments in China which are a cause of great concern as Xi Jinping cements his power; we are watching the systematic destruction of much of Ukraine by Russia; war is being waged in…
The View Growing up can be very hard. Young people in their early teens and even younger have always faced serious questions of identity. Who am I? What am I here for? Who do I want to be? Why am I different from my friends? Why do I not fit in the way others do? Children can feel…
We have lost a model for peace and reconciliation, writes Baroness Nuala O’Loan These have been sad days for so many people in Britain and across the world. In her 70 year reign and her 96 years of life, Queen Elizabeth II seems to have become ‘the queen’ for so many countries – even leaders of…
The View During these weeks priests are on the move across Ireland. Some will retire completely, others, will continue to minister as pastors emeritus, some will take responsibility for their first parish, others – young in ministry will move to new parishes – or even, in the very exceptional case to their first parish as curate. It is…
The View The complex problem of how best to deal with the legacy of the ‘Troubles’ has been under discussion for over 24 years. The current Conservative government in London had made very clear commitments to produce legislation and had issued a consultation paper listing its proposals in May 2018, four years ago. Those proposals included…
The View Things are changing in Northern Ireland. Saturday’s election results, in which Sinn Féin retained its 27 seats to become the largest party in the Assembly, and the Alliance Party more than doubled their seats from eight to 17, mark a significant moment in our history. However, it remains to be seen how significant…
The View It is the evening of Palm Sunday as I write this – just a few hours ago we came home from Armagh where the annual Mass for ‘the disappeared’ was celebrated by Archbishop Eamon Martin. It was a very poignant and sad occasion as we gave thanks for the recovery of the bodies of…