Brendan Hoban: Church is finally listening to its grassroots
Western People 3.10.23. It was an evening in October 1988, at a gathering of Killala clergy in a Westport hotel. We were discussing whether, as a diocese, we should adopt…
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Chris McDonnell: The thirst of prayer
Water is fundamental to life on Earth. We can go for many days without food, not without some considerable discomfort of course, but not life-threatening. Without water, the risk to…
Presider’s Page for 8 October (27th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
There are reassuring sentiments for us in God’s Word, with Paul reminding us that there is no need for us to worry. If there is anything we need, we can…
“Laudate Deum”: the Pope’s cry for a response to the climate crisis
Pope Francis has published an Apostolic Exhortation building on his 2015 encyclical. We’re not reacting enough, he says, we’re close to breaking point. He criticises climate change deniers, saying that…
Pádraig McCarthy: Catholic Synods in Ireland
The Catholic Church in Ireland has had little experience of a Synod in the past 100 years. Anyone under 70 is too young to have any memories of such an…
Synod General Assembly: Listening across our divides
Vatican News reports: The 16th General Assembly of the Synod kicks off in the Vatican with an emphasis on listening as the core element in seeking to discern the voice of…
America Magazine Analysis: The synod is not Vatican III. It’s Pope Francis’ implementation of Vatican II.
Gerard O’Connell October 04, 2023 As I watched the procession at the opening of the Synod on Synodality start from the bronze doors of the apostolic palace this morning, Oct….
Pope at opening Mass for Synod: Let us walk with the Holy Spirit
Link to Synod Opening Mass: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2023-10/pope-at-opening-mass-for-synod-let-us-walk-with-the-holy-spirit.html Pope Francis presides at the Holy Mass in St Peter’s Square for the Opening of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of…
Synod Meditations with Fr Timothy Radcliffe, Dominican Friar and former Master of the Order of Preachers.
Links to Meditation given by Father Timothy Radcliffe during the Retreat for the Members, Fraternal Delegates, the Special Invitees to the XVI General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops 1st…
The Vatican Briefing podcast: Francis opens a synod that could change the Catholic Church
From NCR Online – Link: https://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican-briefing-podcast-francis-opens-synod-could-change-catholic-church?utm_source=NCR+List&utm_campaign=b105b7fcf2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_10_02_11_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6981ecb02e-b105b7fcf2-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D “The Vatican Briefing” is a new podcast from the National Catholic Reporter, featuring two respected Vatican journalists and experts: Joshua J. McElwee and Christopher White. As Pope…
Brendan Hoban: Gardaí cannot be allowed to remove the boss
Western People 26.9.23. I suspect I’m not the only one who finds the Garda plebiscite on Commissioner Drew Harris as more than a bit weird. It’s not just the extraordinary…
Pope Francis responds to dubia submitted by five cardinals
(Note on the five cardinals: German Cardinal Walter Brandmüller, American Cardinal Raymond Burke, Mexican Cardinal Juan Sandoval Íñiguez, Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah and Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen. All five…
Séamus Ahearne: ‘Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.’ (Mary Oliver).
A HOLY MAN: We had a huge funeral last Wednesday/Thursday. Tony had to be in the church overnight (Oliver Plunkett’s) for his last vigil. He was a Holy man; a…
The Sycamore Gap tree, on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, was cut down in an act of vandalism last week.
Chris McDonnell reflects: Sycamore Gap Standing in a sloping gap in a dry stone wall a sycamore tree spread its open hand shadow across the…
Jim Cogley: Reflections Tues 3 Oct – Mon 9 Oct
Triggers – Some more material in relation to our reactions as this topic has such broad appeal. Tue 3rd Oct – Emotional Triggers It’s a familiar feeling when someone makes…
SPIRIT UNBOUNDED WORLDWIDE ECUMENICAL EVENT
8 – 14TH OCT 2023 ONLINE ALL WEEK 13 & 14TH OCT, LIVE, IN-PERSON AND ONLINE, ROME ITALY AND BRISTOL UK. Link with full details: WHY? In Spirit Unbounded we…
Soline Humbert: Pope Francis is wrong to declare female priests a ‘closed question’
Reprinted from The Irish Times Rite and Reason column. Link: https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2023/10/01/pope-francis-is-wrong-to-declare-female-priests-a-closed-question/ Rite & Reason: Many Catholics who do not fit in a patriarchal, hierarchical, model of church feel a deep…
Ecumenical Prayer Vigil: Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby are expected at 5pm (CET)
Pope Francis has invited leaders of Churches from differentdenominations to join him in prayer on September 30 in order toentrust together to the Holy Spirit the work of the 16th OrdinaryGeneral Assembly of the Synod of the Catholic Church. Held in St Peter’s Square, this ecumenical vigil of prayer will be presided by Pope Francis, in the presence of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, and many…
Chris McDonnell: Dividing the Seasons
We have nearly reached the month of October, living our way through the Season that the Americans call The Fall, for obvious reasons. Taking a cup of coffee the other…
Séamus Ahearne: “I was a very reluctant priest.”
‘Yet stop I did: In fact I often do and always end much at a loss like this. Wondering what to look for, wondering too, when churches fall completely out…
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