Democracy and madness at Croke Park

Edmond Grace’s Dialogue on Democracy project continues apace. A recent seminar in Croke Park conference centre was a great success.

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A group of about fifty people gathered in Croke Park last Wednesday and, apart from the occasional peep, they were not there to watch the Irish soccer team preparing for their match against Wales. This particular group had gathered from all parts of the country and was made up of elected politicians(both national and local), public servants and leaders in the community sector. The event was organised by the Dialogue on Democracy Sector, an initiative of the Irish Jesuits which is being coordinated by Edmond Grace SJ. Read more »

A different kind of pre-nuptial agreement

The early stage of a marriage can be fraught with difficulties. Perhaps, David Gaffney suggests, a pre-nuptial agreement to keep commitments under review and to be open to counselling might help.

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The term “pre-nuptial agreement” is heard more often, as couples today – particularly celebrities – break up with bitterness, and with recourse to lawyers. Then we hear warnings that all the terms of any marital arrangement should have been copper-fastened at the beginning. Read more »

Is Lent a curse on refugees?

In his blog ‘Roaming and Rooming with Refugees in Uganda’, Patrick Hume wonders if there isn’t something amiss in urging refugees to take on some new hardship for Lent. “Are they not permanently in Lent?” he asks.

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Imagine starting Lent in a refugee camp! What can one dare ask of refugees in a Christian community to do at this time of year? How can a hungry person fast? How can a poor person give alms? How can a person who has pleaded on their knees with God for their lives be asked to pray? Are refugees not permanently in Lent?. Read more »

The European Union: broadening the vision

For the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the Irish Jesuit Provincial, Fr John Dardis, addressed a gathering in St Patrick’s Cathedral. Faith communities, he remarked, have much to offer the new Europe.

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Background to the Treaty of Rome

We come today in a religious context to talk about the treaty of Rome 1957, which has shaped so much of the Europe that we see today and indeed so much of the Ireland.

Reflecting back on the history of the last century, probably the most violent century in world history, is sobering. It was a century which saw two World Wars, the Balkans Conflict and other major tragedies. So much human suffering and loss. Read more »