Blog

Brendan Hoban, in the Western People, muses about the rights and responsibilities of freedom of speech.
“While the right to free expression is important and should be defended, it’s not an absolute right. And those who are prepared to hurt and offend should not see it as a fail-safe or catch-all defence for their bigotry, of whatever hue.”

Brian Eyre expresses concerns about the illogical norms that are being followed in ordaining married men, former Anglican priests, while excluding Catholic priests who wish to marry from official ministry.

Sean McDonagh tells us that the most important part of the forthcoming encyclical on the environment by Pope Francis is that it develops a credible and adequate theology of creation.

Michael Commane OP in a column for INM Irish regionals says that statements from Pope Francis and the German Bishops set him thinking. He found what they had to say ” … heart warming and must give hope to those who pray to an open and forgiving God. How great would it be to see far more of a church that stressed prudence and compassion over authoritarianism and discipline.”

With freedom of the press and the right to free speech very much in the news Brendan Hoban questions, in his weekly column in the Western People, ‘why I should continue to buy or even to read a paper that so consistently belittles my religion.’

Seamus Ahearne osa offers a refection at the end of the Christmas season.

Now the busyness of Christmas is winding down, there’s time today to stop. And to wonder at the mystery.
Pádraig McCarthy

Happy New Year

Wishing you every blessing this Christmas

The official translation is now available at http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2014/december/documents/papa-francesco_20141222_curia-romana.html.
The introduction says, “Francis received in audience the Cardinals and the Superiors of the Roman Curia for Christmas greetings.” Francis mentions “brothers and sisters” at the beginning!
Pádraig McCarthy

Was 25 December chosen to celebrate the birth of Jesus in order to “Christianise” a pagan festival, or could it be the other way around?
Pádraig McCarthy

For innocent people to be accused of horrific abuse of children is a shattering experience. On 4 December, 24 people from the Modena area of Italy were declared innocent – after 16 years: 17 parents and 7 priests. Families were destroyed, and seven were dead.
Pádraig McCarthy

John the baptizer was of a respectable family. Jonathan Corrie was of a good Kilkenny family.
Pádraig McCarthy

Here are some sentences taken from a poetic image-filled November-Advent reflection from the Sojourners website, by Catherine Woodiwiss.
Padraig McCarthy

Mick Forgey reports in the National Catholic Reporter on Tony Flannery’ s involvement in the National Conference of the reform movement ‘Call to Action’ in Memphis, Tenn.

Chris McDonnell reflects on the Rosetta Mission and the landing of Philae on the Comet 67P.
‘We cannot begin to understand the enormity of the God in whom we believe. We can only appreciate those moments of blinding transformation when he illuminates our lives….’

Sean O’Conaill asks ‘who is to address the question of the church’s relevance to the wider spiritual and moral crisis of Irish society?’

The richness of a parable is that it can carry more than one implication. This is true also of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25.
Padraig McCarthy

“the Congregation for Divine Worship try to micro-manage the Church around the world and often fail to understand or misinterpret local custom and tradition.”
Brendan Hoban in the Western People continues to wonder how curial officals fail to see it is their own institutions that are in need of reform instead of tinkering with what is actually still working in the church.

Information on Tony Flannery’s speaking tour of the United States