The Christmas Story – video with lyrics.

Press Communiqué from the General Secretariat of the Synod Original text: ITALIAN This morning, at the end of the Sunday Angelus, the Holy Father announced that the upcoming 16th Ordinary…

GENDER IMBALANCE – SICK CHURCH One hundred years since brave women won the vote, Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels rightly attempts to achieve gender balance in the College of…

List of Synod Participants Published Dear Friends, The full list of the participants attending the first session of the Universal Synod in Rome this October was published during a press…

Brendan Hoban like many priests spent a good part of today, Friday, visiting the elderly and sick in his parish and found there’s a lot of upset out there among people about the allegations that have been made against Maynooth Seminary.
Many priests will be considering if they should address this issue at weekend Masses. Brendan offers some thoughts that might provide a bit of clarity on the background as so many are confused; it might encourage priests to address it.

Comments on this topic should be posted at “Maynooth Seminary Crisis: ACP Statement”

Francis A. Quinn, the retired bishop of Sacramento, has an interesting article in The New York Times in preparation for Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S.A.
One of the topics he broaches is that of the ordination of women.
“Recent popes have said publicly that priesthood for women cannot be considered because the gospel and other documents state that Christ ordained men only.
Yet women have shown great qualities of leadership: strength, intelligence, prayerfulness, wisdom, practicality, sensitivity and knowledge of theology and sacred Scripture.
Might the teaching church one day, taking account of changing circumstances, be inspired by the Holy Spirit to study and reinterpret this biblical tradition?”

With so many retired bishops speaking out recently on topical issues it raises the question why they haven’t done so when in office. What prevents bishops from expressing such views when they hold office? Whatever it is, it most certainly is not healthy and is damaging the office of bishop and the universal church.

THE CHALLENGE  OF THE EPIPHANY PIONEERS: It is a wonderful feast. It has to be properly celebrated. The virulent temptation is to get lost in a cosmetic celebration of the…