This Sunday’s Presider’s Page

RTÉ to air daily Mass and minority faith messages during the Covid-19 emergency
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Renewing faith, hope and love: Pope Francis’ message for Lent 2021 In his message for Lent 2021, Pope Francis calls on the faithful to “renew our faith, draw from the…

The Report has been published. It is some 800 pages long. It covers England and the devolved Nations – Scotland, Wales and N Ireland. It cost circa £100 million. I…

The issuing of his 11 page letter by former nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano raises many questions; as many about his own motives as about what he alleges.
Two articles, one in the National Catholic Reporter and the other in The Washington Post attempt to fill in the background to the issuing of the letter and the influence that conservative catholic media organisations played.

The Washington Post article says “news this week that Catholic journalists were involved in editing and distributing a Vatican diplomat’s explosive and largely unverified letter calling for the pope’s resignation reveals an influential and tightly knit conservative Catholic digital media network that’s been particularly active during the tenure of its nemesis, Pope Francis.”
The article offers two ways to view these journalists;
quoting a ‘conservative lay leader’ who says ““This whole episode seems like total Fake News … The allegations of sexual abuse coverup “have to be investigated, wherever they lead. But the way this came out, it really struck me: ‘They’re really out to get Francis.’ ”
and from ‘one commentator in the conservative Catholic media sphere’;
“They’re not trying to be objective,” the person said. “They are trying to evangelize; they’re trying to spread the good news, spread the message as they understand it. They are activists.”

Cui bono? Who benefits?

Sean Ó Conaill: Retired teacher of high school history and author. Now editing here (personal website) and on acireland.ie – and campaigning for immediate implementation of Article 37 of Vatican…

‘Chosen’ 5th Sunday Easter Year A – 3rd May 2026