Posted on 06. Jun, 2013 in Church of Ireland, Church Teachings, Uncategorized
A clear vision of a shared future has so far eluded Northern Ireland people and politicians alike. Last month’s statement by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister spoke of the peace walls coming down within ten years; the creation of urban villages; shared youth camps and housing. The Church of Ireland Bishop of Down and Dromore, […]
Posted on 30. May, 2013 in Church Teachings, Poverty
Michael McCullagh, a Vincentian priest said that St. Vincent de Paul had a radical understanding of mission when said “Only for your love, your love alone, will the poor forgive you for the bread you give them.” This is an understanding he says, that we need to bring to the world today in engage in […]
Posted on 30. May, 2013 in Church Teachings
“The evangelical message by our Lord Jesus Christ was given to the whole Church,” says renowned canon lawyer and theologian Ladislas Orsy SJ. He was in Ireland on May 23rd to give the memorial lecture on Michael Hurley SJ, well-known ecumenist and founder of the Irish School of Ecumenics who died in April 2011. Fr. […]
Posted on 23. May, 2013 in Celibacy/Sexuality, Church of Ireland, Church Teachings
The Church of Ireland is embarking on a structured debate throughout the island on human sexuality within the context of Christian belief. The debate was precipitated by the decision in 2011 by the Very Reverend Tom Gordon, Dean of Leighlin in Carlow, to enter a same-sex civil partnership. Largely ignored by media in the Republic, […]
Posted on 23. May, 2013 in Charity, Church Teachings, Community, Faith and Justice
“Forgiveness is the most difficult thing in the whole world,” says Michael McCullagh CM, Spiritual Director in Maynooth College. Yet it is one of the central tenets of Christianity. So how do we find the strength to achieve it? Fr. Michael tells the story of one woman who found it within herself to forgive a […]
Posted on 16. May, 2013 in Celibacy/Sexuality, Church Teachings
The Very Reverend Tom Gordon, Dean of Leighlin, County Carlow made a vigorous contribution to the recent General Synod of the Church of Ireland in Armagh regarding the sexuality issue. Referring to himself as “the only gay in the village”, Dean Gordon, a psychotherapist, reminded the Synod of the sense of exclusion and isolation of […]
Posted on 16. May, 2013 in Church Teachings, Feminism/Women in the Church
Pope Francis has now been in office for two months. Within a week of his appointment, Dr. Brian Grogan SJ had written a booklet entitled Pope Francis: The Jesuit Pope and what we can expect from him. Helen Gallivan, author of Dawn without Darkness reviews this booklet with Miriam Gormally. She points out that the […]
Posted on 09. May, 2013 in Church Teachings, Humane Vitae, Uncategorized
In this second part of our series on euthanasia, Dr. John Murray talks about euthanasia and the common good, arguing that giving people the right to assisted suicide might lead to others being actively put under pressure to choose to die. He draws on examples from other countries to explain his point further to Miriam […]
Posted on 09. May, 2013 in Church Teachings, Feminism/Women in the Church, Uncategorized
May is the month of Mary, whom we associate with motherhood. Motherhood is one of the most life-changing events in the life of any woman. Helen Gallivan, author of the book “Dawn without Darkness” writes about the connection she felt with the biblical stories of motherhood upon giving birth to her own daughter. Miriam Gormally […]
Posted on 02. May, 2013 in Church Teachings, Humane Vitae
The recent high court case rejecting Marie Fleming’s appeal to die has highlighted the issue of assisted suicide. In this first of a two part series, Dr. John Murray, lecturer in Moral Theology in Mater Dei and member of the Iona institute, speaks with Miriam Gormally about the Church’s teaching on euthanasia and the right […]