Sacraments in a Synodal Church, by Noel O’Sullivan (Veritas, €19.99) This is a book intended to be very much of the moment. With many years of work in both primary and secondary education, Dr Noel O’Sullivan lectures in systematic theology at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth. So, he knows how things are meant to work and also…
The possible ordination of women as deacons and the admission of married men to the priesthood will be key themes during a month-long synod gathering in Rome in October, the Vatican revealed this week. The preparatory document, known in Latin as an instrumentum laboris, brings together a number of themes and concerns that have emerged during…
The Vatican on Tuesday released the working document for the much-anticipated synod to be held in Rome in October. Known in Latin as an instrumentum laboris, the 60-page document will guide the month-long Vatican summit on a number of themes and concerns that have emerged during a three-year consultative process, which has focused on how the Church…
We should not attempt to water down the Gospel message to make it more attractive today, rather we should live the message unapologetically, writes Bishop Paul Dempsey The results of a poll outlining the current support for our political parties was published recently. The sample of the population polled was 1,102 people (out of a…
The Pope’s idea of co-responsibility for the Church is the mustard seed that may one day grow into a large tree and give shelter to all, writes Garry O’Sullivan Numbers don’t lie, yet we all know the phrase “Lies, damned lies, and statistics” a phrase that is described as “the persuasive power of statistics to…
As the European synodal assembly closed on Sunday, the gathered bishops praised the “frank” and respectful dialogue between bishops, priests, consecrated and lay men and women. Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin along with 13 other delegates from the island of Ireland attended the European assembly from February 5-12. In their final remarks released on February…
The Church in Ireland should pause its national synod until the conclusion of the global process, the Secretary General of the Vatican Synod has suggested. Cardinal Mario Grech recommended that Ireland “proceed at a slower pace” while the global discernment process is ongoing. The Church in Ireland should “wait for the conclusion of the universal…
Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic and Orthodox leaders in Europe have appealed to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, urging him to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to put an end to the bloodshed in Ukraine. In an open letter published March 2, Romanian Orthodox Father Ioan Sauca, acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches, told…
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