Posted on 09. Oct, 2014 in Christian Values, Church Teachings, Economy, Faith and Justice, Poverty
Gustavo Gutierrez, founder of liberation theology gave it the central tenet of, “the preferential option for the poor” or “option for the poor” as it is often known. This service of the poor is also one of the clear guiding principals of Pope Francis’ theology. The phrase was also seen to have links with Marxism. […]
Posted on 02. Oct, 2014 in Charity, Church Teachings
Founded in 2002, the Vincentian Lay Missionaries (VLM) aims to support the building of a future for those most in need in the poorest areas of Ethiopia and more recently Nigeria. It also aims to highlight the global issue of poverty, to advocate and to support action for change. VLM encourages lay people to go […]
Posted on 25. Sep, 2014 in Christian Values, Church Teachings
Almost everyone is struck by the new approach that Pope Francis takes to theology. Here Gerry Whelan SJ explains to Pat Coyle how his approach can be understood by going back to his roots as a priest in Argentina. Using the terms inductive and deductive theology, he examines how Pope Francis takes culture and context […]
Posted on 18. Sep, 2014 in Christian Values, Community, Gospel Values
Increased media attention has been drawn to the lives of those living under the Direct Provision system in Ireland. On Wednesday September 17th, Ronan Mullin put a motion before the Seanad calling for changes in the operation of the Direct Provision system. “In big ways and little ways, human dignity is disregarded,” he said adding […]
Posted on 18. Sep, 2014 in Charity, Christian Values, Humanitarian Aid
The GAA All Ireland Championship Final is talking place this weekend. 82,000 people will take up seats in Croke Park. It’s one of the biggest crowds we can imagine. But Fr. Robert McCabe, priest in the Diocese of Meath wants people to go further in imagining multiples of this crowd on the march and displaced […]
Posted on 11. Sep, 2014 in Death, Missionary, Vocation
The reality of the Ebola virus has reached Ireland with the death of a Hospital Director in a Saint John of God Brothers hospital in Liberia. Br Patrick Nshamdze, from Cameroon, had dedicated his life to helping people and had stayed on in the hospital when others had fled. John Mitchell, executive director of St. […]
Posted on 28. Aug, 2014 in Book Reviews, Faith and Justice
Our first archive piece this year is from June 2006. Don Mullen was born in Derry in 1956, and as a schoolboy goalkeeper his hero was the great England goalkeeper Gordan Banks. Don witnessed Bloody Sunday at the age of 15 and yet during ‘the troubles’ he never stopped supporting the England soccer team, because […]
Posted on 28. Aug, 2014 in Church Teachings, Faith and Justice
Our second archive piece, from Sept 2006, looks at spirituality. The word ‘Spirituality’ is often used today by those who are anxious to assure people that they are not ‘Religious’ but are ‘Spiritual’ – what does that mean? What does it mean to be Spiritual? Does it rule out being Religious? Una O’Doherty is the […]
Posted on 28. Aug, 2014 in Book Reviews, Church Teachings, Faith and Justice
Our final piece from June 2006 looks a poetry. John F. Deane was born on Achill Island, Co. Mayo and is the founder of Poetry Ireland, the National Poetry Society and its journal The Poetry Ireland Review. He is also founder and first editor of The Dedalus Press. He has won many Irish and International […]
Posted on 20. Aug, 2014 in Conflict, Faith and Justice
Our first piece from the archives this week is from October 2005. It focuses on the author of ‘Twisted Threads’ Leila Merriman. Born out of wedlock in Ireland in the 30s, whe talks to us about learning this and the difficult relationship she had with her mother when they were eventually reunited. She talks about […]