Happy Christmas

Wishing a very happy

and peaceful Christmas

to you and your family

 
The Adoration of the Child is depicted in this 17th-century painting by Dutch artist Gerard van Honthorst. (Uffizi Gallery in Florence)
 

Nollaig Shona Dhuit

Feliz Natal

楽しいクリスマスをお過ごしください

Froehliche Weihnachten

Joyeux Noël

Feliz Navidad

愉快的圣诞节

Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia

 
 
 

Remember and pray

for those for whom

Peace is elusive this Christmas

 

The Scar of Bethlehem artwork features a nativity scene with Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus – but instead of a star hanging over the crib, there is what appears to be a large bullet hole piercing an imposing grey wall.  Banksy’s latest piece – his take on a nativity scene – has been unveiled at his hotel which overlooks the border wall in the divided city of Bethlehem.

 
 

Remember and pray

for those

who are in need this Christmas

 

People queuing for Christmas food parcels at the Capuchin Centre in Dublin. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Similar Posts

Living Positively in the face of Injustice

Articles, Editor's Choice, Reform of the Irish Church
11 Comments

Tony Flannery, on his own blog, reflects on his experience of the past four years.
“I tell myself I have coped reasonably well….
I think it has also served to strengthen my views on the urgent need for reform in the Church…
I believed the process they (the Vatican) engaged in with me was seriously unjust and abusive…
His (Pope Francis) coming brought a great ray of light and hope for the Church, and lifted my spirits also…
But there are times when the reality of this enormous upheaval in my life hits me, and I feel oppressed by it…
Some of the things that tend to make me angry:
– The total indifference shown by the Irish bishops to the sanctioning of myself and five other Irish priests.
– Bishop Crean’s banning of my invitation to speak in Killeagh … did hurt me …
– the opposition to Pope Francis by very senior figures in the Church…

I have great support from my family and close friends, which of course is crucial. There is also a wide body of people who give me encouragement. “

Guilty until proven Innocent 

ACP News, Articles, Editor's Choice
7 Comments

Sarah Mac Donald writing in this week’s Tablet describes the awful ordeal of Fr Tim Hazelwood who had an anonymous false allegation made against him and who then was left to prove his own innocence while feeling totally abandoned by official church and fobbed off by the National Safeguarding Board.
“I was left feeling very alone”, he says. “I had to fight my accuser but I also had to fight the Church, because it didn’t help in any way.”
This article raises very disturbing questions for church authorities in how they deal with anonymous allegations, questions that should prevent them from sleeping easily until they have been fully resolved.
Robert Dore, solicitor, describes the Church’s protocols on anonymous allegations as “wrong” and “wholly inappropriate”.

2 Comments

  2. Eddie Finnegan says:

    As I said at @ACPinIreland just now, a very happy Christmas, a hope-filled 2020, and much gratitude to all of ACP’s Leadership Team, past and present, for the past decade of great work. It would be good to see greater use both by Leadership and all punters of the new ACP Twitter account in the year ahead. You can say a lot in 280 characters. If Pope Francis@Pontifex, or his handlers, and even the Irish Bishops can do it . . . . .

    Reply

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