In the moments before Pope Francis’ arrival at the Paul VI Hall on Saturday (December 7), a final addition was made to a nativity scene gifted by Palestinian artists: A keffiyeh, the black-and-white checkered scarf that has come to represent the Palestinian cause, was placed on the manger beneath the baby Jesus. Sitting in his…
O Blessed Virgin, Immaculate, Inspirer and Cause of so much love for God, and so much good. You know Jesus best of all. You love Him more than any other. I see so much happens through you, so many miracles and healings, God doing them at your request. I see in my life you make…
Emily Nelson The debate on assisted suicide has risen to prominence again, particularly with the recent vote in Westminster and calls for changes in legislation elsewhere. What can we do about this? Through my work for FaithVersed, I was asked to organise a talk on this topic, aiming to both inform and equip people to…
Jason Conroy For years, Ronan Collins kept up a great tradition on RTÉ radio: starting from December 8, he would play a different rendition of O Holy Night every day until Christmas. Indeed, they never start playing Christmas tunes on Radio 1 or Lyric FM before that date. What’s so special about December 8? It’s…
Fr Shay Cullen Most people who consider themselves Christians will have their own imagined image of Jesus of Nazareth. Few really know who he was, what he did and said, or was reported as having said. Most know him as the child of poor parents born in a manger in Bethlehem, in what’s now the…
Illiana Ochoa Bravo The Bishop of Elphin and Apostolic Administrator of Achonry has said he is praying for the safety of the Syrian people and for a peaceful transition of power. Bishop Kevin Doran said on social media that he’s thinking of Johanna Ibrahim, his fellow student at the Irish College in Rome and the…
Fans of the pop star Gwen Stefani were left “shocked” after she recently announced that she has teamed up with the Catholic prayer app Hallow for its Advent prayer challenge. Ms Stefani (55) was raised Catholic and reportedly remained practicing throughout her music career. However, the partnership between the singer and Hallow “shocked” her fans, according…
North Koreans who are repatriated from China and who have had contact with Christians are sent to North Korean political prisoner camps, according to the latest report on religious freedom by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians oppressed for their Faith 2022-24 was published…
Mexico’s bishops have issued a statement clarifying that there is no such thing as an approved “Mayan rite” of the Mass and that the Vatican has only authorised specific liturgical adaptations for indigenous communities in Chiapas state in southern Mexico. In a statement the Mexican Bishops’ Conference (CEM, by its Spanish acronym) provided several details about the…
Now that the United Kingdom has voted to introduce assisted suicide into law, there can be no doubt that where the UK has gone, Ireland will follow. Across the Irish Sea there was at least a serious, public debate with strong voices on both sides arguing the issues. In Ireland, we could only wish for…