EWTN Reporter Finds Crucifix From Bombed Apartment in Ukraine: “God is Very Close to Us”
EWTN News journalist Colm Flynn was doing a video report on the second anniversary of the war in Ukraine with a priest when he saw a crucifix among the ruins of a building. Two years after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Flynn visited the country to learn about the current situation of the inhabitants […]
Need Ideas for Meatless Fridays? Try Adding These Delicious Guilt-Free Meals to Your Menu
During the penitential season of Lent, Catholics around the world abstain from meat on Fridays and Ash Wednesday. At one point in time, Catholics abstained from eating meat every Friday of the year, but U.S. bishops now allow Catholics to instead substitute another act of charity or sacrifice. Abstinence refers to the absence of meat […]
Angela Merkel and the mystery of national unity
In the politics of recent times the German Chancellor stands out for her major efforts to sustain the unity of Europe. This may well be because her own life grew out of an experience of what happens when nations are divided. When, in the aftermath of World War II, Germany – an historical unity only […]
Sr de Pazzi Finn – eight decades preparing children for life
At 80 years of age, having left school over 62 years ago, it’s fair to assume that most of my teachers have, by now, passed on. There is one, however, who is still hale and hearty, whom I feel so privileged to have been taught by and whom I still speak with regularly. And the… […]
Don’t wait too long to baptise your baby
I just celebrated my birthday. Twenty days after I entered the world, I was carried by my godparents to Immaculate Conception Parish in Maplewood, Missouri, to be baptised by the pastor, Fr John Ryan. Mom told me she and dad were nervous because they had waited almost three weeks instead of the expected two, and […]
Did Pope Benedict XVI validly resign?
Q: Did Pope Benedict XVI validly resign even though he did not renounce the munus? A: As many of us will recall, on February 11, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI surprised the world when, after noting his advancing age and declining health, he announced: “ … For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of… […]
A total ban on funeral eulogies seems cleaner
It’s probably the wrong thing to say, but I really enjoyed the State funeral of the late John Bruton, RIP. It was an occasion of deep sadness for his family and I did pray for them during the Mass, but I was also moved by the rituals of Church and State, so beautifully executed for… […]
Better to be safe than sorry, ‘Vote No’
Dear Editor, A USA lady bravely faced applause when she declared she sleeps with Bill Clinton every Christmas. She brought to mind people having a similar ‘durable relationship’ with our very own Taoisigh. All of this gains fresh relevance as our Government asks us to vote in a referendum, March 8. They say existing definition of […]
A book to enlighten your Lenten reading
Recently Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP was in Dublin to give the annual Patrick Finn Lecture at St Mary’s, Haddington Road. It was an opportunity which many took to hear one of the more influential Catholic theologians of today. It was judged by those who attended to have been a great success. Those who might wish […]
I hate mindless crowds
I hate crowds, at least most of them. I’m okay at football games, where a crowd has bracketed its sanity for a couple of hours for a cathartic release. But I hate those crowds that are caught up in a fever that feeds off group think, be that a cultural fad, a political ideology, a […]