Members of the St Agnes School Orchestra pictured ahead of a performance at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. Photo: Marc O'Sullivan
    People plant a cross at a mass grave of earthquake victims during a memorial service in Titanyn, Haiti, Feb. 1. Photo: CNS
    Bishop Seamas Freeman of Ossory conferred one of the first confirmations of the year in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny on Jan 30. Photo: Michael McGrath
    Pupils from 3rd and 4th class in Crehana National School in Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Waterford were presented with the Our World Irish Aid Award by the Minister of State for Overseas Development, Mr Peter Power for their project entitled Hunger in Our World
    The parish of Holy Cross, Dundrum, Dublin recently celebrated the ordination to Deaconate of Rev. Stephen Deighan by Archbishop Diramuid Martin. Photo: Paul McGovern
    People gather for the annual March for Life rally in Washington, US to mark the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalised abortion. Photo: CNS
    Representatives from different faith groups with President Mary McAleese and her husband Martin, at an Interfaith service in Cork organised by Cois Tine to celebrate 'Unity in Diversity'.
    Catholic Relief Services, in collaboration with Trócaire and other members of the Caritas network, have led the distribution of a fortnight's ration of food to 50,000 people camped on a 9-hole golf course in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
    What message would you like the Irish bishops to give to the Pope? Have your say - send your comments to editor@irishcatholic.ie
    Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who shot Pope John Paul II, is surrounded by journalists in Ankara, Turkey, Jan. 18, after he was released from prison. Photo: CNS

    Top Stories

    Invest in children and close the prisons says violin nun

    Paul Keenan

    Proper investment in primary schools could result in systemic change in education and lead to a situation where prisons in Ireland would close, according to a school principal who has effected dramatic change in her school through music.

    Speaking during Catholic Schools Week, Sr Bernadette Sweeney, principal of St Agnes' primary school in Crumlin, Dublin, and co-founder of a project to give violin tuition to all her students under the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme, said systematic changes and investment in education are key to the future of education.

    ''We've become so tied up with institutions,'' Sr Bernadette said. ''But it is important to know what we want from our education system. Isn't it producing children who have self-e...

    Williamson offers negative view of Vatican-SSPX talks

    Controversial Lefebvrist Bishop Richard Williamson has described differences between the Vatican and the Society of St Pius X as ''absolutely irreconcilable''.

    Having become notorious for a television interview which communicated his denial of aspects of the Holocaust, Bishop Williamson has now given another interview, this time on the subject of relations between the Holy See and the breakaway Lefebvrists.

    ''The two positions are absolutely irreconcilable,'' he said. ''2+2=4 and 2+2=5 are irreconcilable. That is, the SSPX abandons the truth, which God forbids us to do. Or those who say 2+2=5 convert and return to the truth. Or the two meet halfway and say that 2+2=4-1/2. That's wrong. Either the SSPX becomes a traitor or Rome converts, or it's a dialogue of the deaf.''...
    The meaning of the moment when Elvis said: `Awake!' - John Waters

    The generation that led the surge towards freedom from the 1960s to a soundtrack that began with Elvis's Sun records, is now about to retire. This brings us to a key moment in recent cultural history.

    In present-day culture it is almost impossible to offer a critique of certain aspects of modern living without it being assumed that you are utterly and comprehensively opposed to the phenomenon under discussion. For example, anyone who criticises the abuse of alcohol is immediately assumed to be a teetotaler, and if it emerges that he enjoys a tipple at the weekends, he is instantly deemed a ''hypocrite''.

    This is not, in fact, accidental, but is rather a...

    Now for the divorce party - Mary Kenny

    Heard the latest wheeze from the world of salesmanship? The divorce party!

    This is the way it works: when your divorce finally comes through, you throw a bash - much like a wedding beano - complete with champagne, cake and balloons. Music may accompany the celebration, and songs being suggested include I Will Survive and Hit the road, Jack!

    The ''divorce cakes'' may show a figurine of a bride who has just pushed her man off the edge of the icing. Little decorations can also be had bearing the slogan ''who needs a man when you can have a drink?''

    There's a book about celebrating divorce, written by Christine Gallagher, and called How to Throw a Break-Up...

    Comment

    Assisted suicide crux

    The campaign to legalise assisted dying is gathering momentum in Britain, and it is stirring in Ireland. Terry Pratchett, the famous author afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, has suggested that there should be a tribunal to give people permission to help their loved ones to commit suicide.

    The sad cases of two mothers: one of whom acted to bring about the death of her son who had been seriously injured when he fell from a moving ambulance, and the other who did...

    The Editors Comments

    Looking to Rome for guidance

    If the Church in Ireland is to have a worthwhile future, each diocese will have to come up to speed with its own affairs and adopt best practice nationally and internationally.

    Bishops were not appointed to a bishops' conference, but they were appointed to a diocese and how they carry out this function is crucial to the spiritual well-being of laity and clergy. Not only is it of concern how they have handled clerical child sexual abuse, but also how they run their diocese, care for their laity and priests and if they are capable of doing what is an increasingly difficult and demanding job. Unlike the rest of us, there is no real oversight of how a bishop runs his diocese, and certainly no accountability to the people of that diocese. Therefore, it is important that the Vatican ensure that every bishop can answer comprehensively to three areas of competence.

    The first is leadership.

    Are you, as a bishop, preaching the Gospel, preaching about the faith and morals as a positive option, reaching out to those who struggle with faith everyday in their lives? How are you doing this?

    The second is management. Have you good...