The President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins meeting Pope Francis in Rome

Tony Flannery has published, on his own blog, a short correspondence that passed between himself and the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Charles Brown following the appearance of The Nuncio on RTE’s “The Meaning of Life”.

Bartimaeus He sat by the roadside in squalor and darkness, a cloak about frail shoulders, empty bowl to hand… Just another blind beggar. ‘Sensed crowds gathering… caught snatches of chatter,…

Updated with a link to an interview of Tony Flannery by Monica Morley on Mid West Radio’s Faith Alive programme.

Tony Flannery posted a very interesting start of the year reflection on his personal blog.
It is nothing less than scandalous that Tony still is “withdrawn” from ministry and that this situation is allowed to continue by those in authority.
“I am inclined to believe that if there is to be any change in my situation it will happen this year. If not, then I will have to accept that things will remain as they are for whatever amount of life I have left. I can cope, I think, with not ministering as a priest any more. At my age I wouldn’t be doing much anyway. But living within an institution that acts in such a cavalier and unjust fashion, and is quite happy to sit with that injustice and do nothing about it, will be the difficult part.”

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

Statement issued by Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan on HPV vaccines, 02 October 2017

Poem written by Chris McDonnell in 1972 Birthday   What sense can be made of hunched bone huddled by a wall, face flagged by a tied handkerchief fearful of poisoned…