The dignity of all human life in the Eucharist

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Earlier today, I had the opportunity to take part in the annual March for Life in Dublin along with some fellow members of the Irish chapter of Rehumanize International. The event, organised by the Pro‑LifeCampaign, seeks to uphold the rights of unborn children and to promote a broader culture of life. This includes support for other vulnerable people at a time when assisted suicide is being introduced in some jurisdictions and openly supported by a significant number of members of the Oireachtas (Irish parliament).

Support for life at every stage - from conception to natural death -  is a key and fundamental part of Catholic Social Teaching as solidarity with the poorest, weakest and most marginalised members of society. I also believe it sits within a wider consistent life ethic that can, and does, find support across a diversity of political and religious viewpoints, including among those who do not profess religious faith.

A real transformation #2

Picture: Bloomberg

In yesterday’s blog, I wrote about the transformation that takes place in the Mass. Scripture and the early Patristic writings –  the testimony of the great teachers of the Church in the centuries following the Resurrection of our Lord –  clearly affirm this reality. In harmony with the Bible and with Catholic tradition, we give our intellectual assent to this essential teaching of the faith.

A real transformation #1

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Saint Athanasius, whose feast is commemorated today, was one of the most significant Christian figures of the fourth century. An Egyptian bishop and theologian, he died in A.D. 373 and is best remembered as the principal defender of Nicene orthodoxy against the Arian heresy, which sought to deny the full divinity of Jesus Christ. He is often described by the phrase Athanasius contra mundum –  ‘Athanasius against the world’ – reflecting his steadfast resistance to both ecclesiastical and imperial pressures in defence of the Catholic faith at a time when Arianism had gained influence throughout the Roman Empire, including among senior clergy.

The dignity of all human work in the Eucharist

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Today is traditionally regarded as the first day of summer in Ireland. Lá Bealtaine, the 1st of May, marks an ancient turning point of the year. Today is also the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker, a feast day inaugurated in 1955 by Pope Pius XII in honour of Saint Joseph as a model of human labour and as an inspiration for workers throughout the world.

The choice of date was no accident. Originating in 1886, May Day has had significance in trade union and political calendars ever since. Over time, it became firmly associated with left‑wing, socialist and Marxist movements. In the febrile atmosphere of the 1950s, Christians and Catholics were under pressure to defend social and moral ground that was increasingly being contested by hostile ideologies—particularly, though not exclusively, in Italy, where communist and socialist movements were in the ascendant.

Women’s ordination – weighing up the arguments

Pic: Vatican News

I am not sure whether the US Vice-President, J. D. Vance, is taking time to read this blog series. Regardless, his advice to Pope Leo XIV — “I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology” — applies all the more to me, since I cannot claim any particular depth of theological training or experience. However, I am certain of at least one thing: neither the Vice-President nor I is the Pope.

Could women serve as deacons at the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic church? (#2)

Leading Liturgists Reaffirm the Ordination of Women to the Diaconate - Public Orthodoxy

Unlike the case of priestly ordination, objections to the ordination of women to the diaconate cannot rest on apostolic precedent or on Eucharistic sacramental symbolism. This raises the question of what, precisely, distinguishes a priest from a deacon within the catholic apostolic tradition—Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican.

Could women serve as deacons at the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic church? (#1)

Picture:  Codex Barberini gr. 336 (780 AD) with the opening of the ordination rite for women deacons

Let us set aside the question of the priesthood for the moment – I will return to it later. Today, I want to focus instead on the office and function of the diaconate within the Church’s three‑fold clerical order of deacon, priest, and bishop.