Occasional Scribbles

The column below appears in this week's INM Irish regional newspapers. Michael Commane At the beginning of June I spent a week o...

From the NCR Pope Francis gave a forceful message to the world’s newest Catholic archbishops today, telling prelates who had travelled  fr...

On June 28, 1970 Muhammed Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay, stood before the United States Supreme Court regarding his refusal of inducti...

Tradition has it in Ireland and England that if it rains on St Swithun's Day, July 15, it will rain for the next 40 days. The Germans ...

The piece below is from the  US Catholic publication, NCR. It's well worth a read and certainly applies to leadership in the Irish Cath...

President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina hosted a garden party at Áras an Uachtaráin yesterday for multi cultural groups. The hous...

This blog marks its eighth year this month. It began in mid-summer 2007 and now attempts to publish on a daily basis. At present it is read ...

It is difficult to see and hear  the unfolding news about paedophile priest, the late Fr Brendan Smyth. The Norbertines were aware of his ...

The column below appears in this week's INM Irish regional newspapers. Michael Commane RTE’s Sunday Game presenter Michael Lyster has...

Former East German and SED functionary Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski has died from prostate cancer at home in Tegernsee. Alongside Erich Hon...

Below is John Nienstedt's letter of resignaiton. Not a hint of an apology, not a hint of saying anything close to 'sorry'. ...

There is much coverage in the media this weekend on the shenanigans in the Catholic Archdiocese of St Paul and Minneapolis. The archbish...

Yesterday's Irish Times  carries an article written by the Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis. In the piece he give an insight in...

Tess back on the mountain after a short break. Straddling the Wicklow Dublin border on her way to Kippure (757 metres) via the Eagle...

Below is today's  Irish Times   'Thinking Anew' column. Michael Commane Tomorrow’s Gospel could well be used as some sort ...

Letters in yesterday Irish Times in response to Vincent Twomey's opinion piece. earlier in the week. Sir, – The Rev Dr Two...

A presenter on right-wing US 'Patriot Radio' criticised President Barack Obama for the comments he made on hearing of the shooting i...

The atmosphere inside St Kevin's Church Harrington Street in Dublin. It's difficult to appreciate the 'honour system' wi...

From today's Guardian online.  "Pope Francis has called on the world’s rich nations to begin paying their “grave social debt” to th...

Have you ever noticed when you buy a food product, say milk, and notice the sell-by-date? It seems far away. Then suddenly the date comes an...

Today's Gospel reading (Mt 6: 1 - 6, 16 - 18) is surely a clever antidote to a world of superlatives. Last week Frank McNally in his Iri...

Saturday's Irish Times carried an obituary of Tom Woulfe. Mr Woulfe lived in Rathgar and came to Mass in the Three Patrons Church in...

Today's 'New York Times' reports the resignation of the Catholic Archbishop of St Paul and Minneapolis, John Nienstedt. It i...

Yesterday afternoon in a Lidl store in Dublin a security man spoke in a loud voice to a lady wearing a long dress. She appeared not to be a ...

The first lines from today's Gospel from Mark: Jesus also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ...

There are regular complaints about signage on Irish roads, its up there with the potholes on our secondary roads. Have you ever noticed...

A headline in the June issue of the freesheet 'Alive!' runs: "More UK teenagers have a smartphone than a father" Does ...

Today's Irish Examiner carries a page-long open letter to Pope Francis by Ballyfermot priest Joe McDonald. In the letter he talks abou...

It seems more and more bishops are now asking for conversation about priestly celibacy. Is that now the 'expedient' thing to do? ...

Heiner Koch, current bishop in Dresden-Meissen has been appointed Archbishop of Berlin. Koch was born in Düsseldorf in 1954, studied the...

The Berlin Senate some years ago began a project marking the pavements outside the doors of people, mainly Jews, who were taken from their h...