That Knock apparition in full…

Amazing footage of 5000 people all staring at the sky, many of whom claim they saw the sun “dancing”.  If you look closely you can just about make out…

Political Hot Potato

In the spirit of fellowship and togetherness, the Taoiseach yesterday met the heads of the Church of Ireland from north and south.  And, in the spirit of Christian generosity, the Archbishops brought Mr Cowen some lunch, in the shape of a gigantic baked potato.  Then, in the spirit of perma-starvation, our Brian scoffed it before commencing dialogue with the men of the (table) cloth.

Why Stop At AIDS?

Why does the Pope not highlight the other evils condoms are responsible for?

Pope Benedict XVI has denounced the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV, telling reporters that AIDS “cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems.”   Incredibly there has been an international outcry over this statement, with the director of the World Health Organisation’s HIV/Aids department, Kevin De Cock, saying that there’s no scientific evidence to show that condom use encourages people to take sexual risks.  Naturally, IHGN thinks Pope Benedict hasn’t gone far enough in his condom condemnation.  There are many other risks associated with their use and misuse – why didn’t he point these ones out?

Give Up Yer Aul Shopping

And so it came to pass that a senior member of the Catholic Church in Co. Galway got mildly peeved about Sunday trading.  Fr Stephen Farragher, who works (except, presumably, on a Sunday) as administrator to the Tuam archdiocese, has suggested shops shouldn’t be open for very long on the Sabbath, and also advocates a return to the old monochrome times, when Sunday was a day of rest.  So, no doubt, he doesn’t want priests to be paid for being on duty on this day, he won’t need any electricity or gas to be piped into churches, won’t watch telly or listen to radio in the evening, and won’t want newspapers for sale on Sunday afternoons or, indeed, available for publication on Monday morning.  Sometimes I wish I lived in Cloud Cuckoo Land too, it seems so much more serene there.  Mind you, with the recession here and biting, there’s the prediction that there will be a flock of people turning (or returning) to God – basically, and ironically, because they want something.  In that regard, surely the very fundamentals of Christianity have failed miserably.  Meanwhile, in the real world, where the rest of us live, it probably is best to spend your money on keeping businesses like your local convenience shop, Woodies and IKEA afloat on Sundays (the one day of the week when most working people can actually get to the shops), rather than throw your hard-earned pennies into the coffers of an utterly outdated, hypocritical and out-of-touch institution.