The Hamster Wheel of Sacramental Routine:
Seamus Ahearne muses on the special moments of life we mark with Sacraments and he wonders how can we help to let the world of God be glimpsed?
Editor’s Choice
Why Croke Park and Old Trafford are the new cathedrals
Brendan Hoban ponders how sport has relegated religion in his Western People column.
Why the Pope shouldn’t come to Ireland now.
Brendan Hoban, in his Western People column, argues that The very last thing the Irish Church needs at present is a visit from the pope.
Head of Vatican doctrinal congregation confronts LCWR for noncooperation
Meuller confronts the US nuns. How can we interpret this? Are we back to the pre-Francis days? Or is he throwing down the gauntlet to Francis? Whatever, it is a disturbing development, and will be a test of Francis.
Are married priests next on Pope Francis’ reform agenda?
The discussion concerning the possibility of having married priests seems to be gaining ‘traction’ in some episcopal circles. David Gibson outlines recent developments in an article in the National Catholic Reporter
Priests need to stand up for themselves
Brendan Hoban in his Western people column says that Turner’s infamous cartoon in the Irish Times may help the progressively disenchanted Catholic clergy to find their own voice, to stand up for themselves, especially when no one else seems ready to accept that poisoned chalice.
The Politics of Saint-Making
PAUL VALLELY
With the forthcoming canonisations of two Popes, John XXIII and John Paul II, is it time to look again at the purpose saints are meant to serve. Is the whole process of ‘canonisation’ in need of radical overhaul?
Comment on Irish Times Cartoon
The leadership of the ACP protests in the strongest possible terms at a cartoon in the Irish Times that they perceive to be gratuitously insulting to Irish Catholic priests
Statement of the Association of Catholic Priests – Pope Francis and the ordination of married men.
The ACP calls on the Irish bishops to respond with courage and conviction to the direct challenge presented to them by Pope Francis
Married men could be ordained priests if world’s bishops agree – Pope Francis
“The Pope explained that he could not take everything in hand personally from Rome. We local bishops, who are best acquainted with the needs of our faithful, should be corajudos, that is ‘courageous’ in Spanish, and make concrete suggestions,”
German Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst dismissed by Pope Francis
praytellblog.com and the National Catholic Reporter are carrying reports that German Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst has been dismissed by Pope Francis.
Irish bishops have reverted to regime of ‘secrecy, aloofness and unaccountability’
Sean O’Connaill deplores the bishops’ lack of transparency on the funding and independence of the national body for child protection that they set up (the NSBCCC), and hopes for the day when bishops will be accountable to their people.
Do ‘pre-nups’ produce invalid marriages?
Brendan Hoban argues that if a pre-nuptial agreement is part of the preparation for a marriage, then maybe it’s not a Christian marriage at all — because it implies the couple do not intend their marriage to last for life (first published in the Western People).
Are eulogies the only issue at funerals?
Bernard Cotter believes that reducing funeral liturgies to the question of whether or not they should include a eulogy misses the broader point: is a funeral Mass always pastorally appropriate?
Pope Francis must meet with victims of abuse
The editors of America’s National Catholic Reporter share their open letter to Pope Francis, appealing to him to meet victims of clergy sex abuse.
Mix of fact and fiction in ‘Philomena’ takes from its impact
Brendan Hoban reviews the movie ‘Philomena’, currently on general release. He believes it didn’t need to add fictional elements to present the facts as unacceptable and inhumane (first published in this week’s Western People).
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