Why should Catherine Connolly be forced to take a religious oath to become president?
Rite & Reason: Ireland has become increasing secular in recent years with same-sex marriage, divorce and other human rights well established
Catholic Church
Diarmaid Ferriter: Sr Stan asked a question in 1985 – it still hasn’t been answered
At the time of her death, more than 16,000 people were in emergency accommodation across the country
‘I see mistakes celebrating Mass in Ireland’: The new parishioners filling Dublin pews
The ethnic diversity of Mass-goers and the clergy is growing
Sr Stanislaus Kennedy: An ‘intransigent woman’ with an impulse to help those in distress
Obituary: Her work in favour of the marginalised meant she often clashed with the Catholic Church and drove her to found Focus Ireland
The Catholic thinker behind JD Vance’s religious conversion
Unthinkable: French philosopher René Girard developed a theory of scapegoating. The US vice president has weaponised it
May McGee’s achievement meant couples could have healthy sexual relationships without fear
In The Irish Times library, I remember looking for cuttings about contraception to find they were filed under ‘Crimes sexual’ - which was the stark truth at the time
More than 50 years on, The Exorcist still possesses the United States
US Letter: Scenes were filmed in Washington DC, where the 1973 movie is celebrated to this day
Man who says he was abused by priest settles legal action for six-figure sum
He sued Diocese of Down and Connor over alleged abuse in early 1970s
Death announced of Mary ‘May’ McGee who won historic Supreme Court contraception case
Landmark 1973 case found married couples had right to make private decisions on family planning
Lithuania: A History by Richard Butterwick - Meticulous chronicle explains so much
A superb piece of scholarship that distils more than 1,000 tumultuous years into a coherent narrative
Joseph O’Connor on celebrating a Kerry priest who became a war-time hero
He assembled a network of activists that hid thousands of fugitives, including many escaped Allied prisoners of war
Diocese of Dromore to pay £1.2m to five who alleged abuse by priest at school
Former St Colman’s College pupils to receive written apologies from head of Catholic Church in Ireland
I’m not really religious but I still pray to St Anthony when something is lost
This might just be an ingrained echo of a Catholic upbringing but I also find it comforting
When Soline Humbert announced her vocation to be a priest, she got threats and abuse
Rite & Reason: Humbert recounts how one priest shouted to her face: 'Women priests? Over my dead body!'
Heather Humphreys would bring this one vital quality to the role of president
The problem is, judging by her performance in this week’s television debate, she doesn’t believe in herself
Lea Ypi on Albania’s archives: ‘You might find something horrible on a person you’re extremely attached to’
Compelled to tell her grandmother’s true story, the academic realised she’d have to confront the records of the old state security and secret police force
Where next for the conservative right after Maria Steen’s failed presidential bid?
There seems to be little hope of her heralding a revival of social conservatism given that her political cohort isn’t even comfortable calling itself ‘conservative’
Ireland has its first new Benedictine monastery for women since medieval times
Rite & Reason: Exile, endurance, resilience run through the story of Connemara’s Benedictine sisters
Idea that Irish schoolchildren can simply ‘opt out’ of religion class is a myth
What we will have now is teachers saying 'Christians believe Jesus was the son of God' in one lesson, followed by 'Jesus was the son of God' in the next
‘We need more priests’: Catholic bishop welcomes 13 seminarians into training
This year’s intake brings to 77 the number of men being training for priesthood in Ireland
Victim of abuse by priest at St Colman’s College, Newry to receive £170,000 in damages
Man sued Diocese of Dromore over historic physical and sexual assaults by Malachy Finnegan between 1979 and 1985
A WhatsApp message about the secular ‘non-Communion’ makes my heart sink
Surely one of the unspoken benefits of a secular education is that we don’t have to fork out for a bouncy castle?
Catholics more likely to be concerned about climate change than Protestants, new research shows
Free Presbyterians are most sceptical about climate crisis facing the planet, according to survey
Nobody can claim the decline of Catholic influence has made Irish society happier or healthier
The liberal left has become the comfortable voice of the establishment, but this is far from the progressive utopia we were promised
Pope Leo recounts being attacked by man in Ireland in resurfaced video
‘Never in my life ... have I been physically attacked as I was in Ireland,’ then-bishop told 2019 conference in Peru
The presidential election needs a candidate I wouldn’t vote for: Maria Steen
There are still a lot of orthodox Irish Catholics and people of other faiths who share their views on issues like abortion, homosexuality, gender and marriage
Carlo Acutis: Pope Leo XIV canonises ‘God’s influencer’ as first millennial saint
The teenager, who died in 2006, used digital technology to spread the Catholic faith
Carlo Acutis, the millennial saint, could not be more different to the influencers of the manosphere
The canonisation process has been swift for Carlo Acutis, who died in 2006, aged 15. He will be canonised in Rome this weekend
José María Sánchez Silva obituary: First Spanish military officer to publicly identify himself as gay
His decision immediately drew a backlash from conservative circles but emboldened others
Tuam excavation: more than 100 people come forward to give DNA
Samples have been taken from 18 elderly or vulnerable people to help identify any remains that may be found at former mother and baby home
Lesson of St Paul - Colm Keena on one benefit of being a lapsed Catholic
Appreciating life, time and travel, with or without a magic bus
What did Éamon de Valera ever do for us?
Ireland’s memory of Éamon de Valera is complicated by many factors. Diarmaid Ferriter assesses the competing perspectives
Priests demand Irish Catholic Church sever ties with Allianz over Israel links
Move follows similar demands among GAA members unhappy over relationship with multinational insurance company
The Irish caminos: Climbing the ‘passage of the birds’ - a Connemara rival to Croagh Patrick
Frank McNally on an ancient Connemara pilgrimage, once suppressed by the church but now happily revived
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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