Sean O'Leary

The Sacred Heart of Jesus reveals the depth of God's love - a love that is infinite, merciful and for all people. May we let this love transform us and guide our path. #Catholic #SacredHeart #Faith

@dianemontagna In our disenchanted age, the Church can feel implausible and unattractive. A synodal-style of cultural apologetics could renew the voice of truth, awareness of goodness and our imaginative appreciation of beauty ultimately pointing towards Christ. #synodality

JUST IN — Fr. James Martin: The “Mastermind” Behind the Two Testimonies in the Vatican’s Synod Report on Homosexuality: dianemontagna.substack.com/p/fr-james-mar… The “plot” behind Study Group No. 9’s final report comes to light as the author of Testimony 1 is identified. Read more here: dianemontagna.substack.com/p/fr-james-mar…

In our disenchanted age, the Church can feel implausible and unattractive. A synodal-style of cultural apologetics could renew the voice of truth, awareness of goodness and our imaginative appreciation of beauty ultimately pointing towards Christ. #synodality

@PaulVanderKlay @NathanJacobsPod @JusBrierley Good conversation. I wonder if Theology is more of an older sister (or nurturing queen mother) offering kinship, mutual respect and complementary strengths. One measures; the other wonders why the cosmos (and the measurer) exist at all, and what it means for how we live.

Very much looking forward to Breakwater London in June. I think Joe Folley and @NathanJacobsPod are an outstanding pairing. @JusBrierley will work his wonders and I'll just try to keep up. Topic? "Is Theology is the Queen-Mother of the Sciences?"

@Holocaust_Irl As a small, relatively neutral country, we should be prioritizing prudent, humane policies rooted in dignity and solidarity by always seeking to heal division through encounter rather than amplifying controversy through a self-righteous judgementalism.

Maurice Cohen, Chair of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland speaking to The Irish Times in his measured response makes two key points: Cultural boycotts do not benefit those in whose name the boycott is made, and, Ireland Inc has squandered a precious opportunity to act as a trusted peace broker given its historical experience of reaching the Good Friday Agreement over 30 years. "It is legitimate to ask if RTÉ’s position was down to broad editorial principle, or does it reflect pressure from a relatively small but highly vocal activist constituency, both internally and externally? What concerns many in the Jewish community is not any single incident in isolation, but the cumulative effect of repeatedly singling out Israel across cultural, political and public discourse. Whatever one’s views on the current conflict, when Israel alone is subjected to exceptional treatment, many Jews understandably experience that not as neutral policy criticism, but as part of a broader atmosphere of hostility and demonisation. Jewish communities especially alert to moments when political rhetoric moves beyond criticism of a government into a climate of sustained moral vilification. No historical comparison is ever exact, but Europe has seen, on many occasions, where relentless demonisation, exclusion, and the normalisation of hostility toward Jews can lead. That history inevitably informs present anxieties. I am not persuaded that symbolic gestures such as this improve the lives of Israelis, Palestinians, or anyone affected by this tragic conflict. They may generate headlines or satisfy activist demands, but they do not bring peace closer. Ireland has, at its best, a reputation for diplomacy, conflict resolution, and moral persuasion. If Ireland wishes to play any constructive role in encouraging peace, dialogue, or mediation in the region, it must be seen as an honest and credible interlocutor rather than having predetermined allegiances. Actions of this kind risk undermining that perception.” In an ideal world, cultural events should be spaces that bring people together rather than become further battlegrounds for political confrontation." 🔗 in replies

@rtenews Why not urge empathy for struggling communities (people feeling overwhelmed) and for migrants, while guiding all towards prudent, humane policies rooted in dignity and solidarity? It is better to heal division through encounter rather than amplify controversy.

Fianna Fáil MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú has asked former taoiseach Bertie Ahern to consider issuing an apology following recent comments he made in relation to migration rte.ie/news/2026/0514…

@Synod_va We gather, not to conquer questions, but to listen where the Spirit beckons. Emerging light breaks interior maps. What seems controversy is the threshold where Christ walks in our time. Come, sit in the circle of mercy. Let silence speak first, as we turn together towards God.

#Synodality What if the goal is not solving controversy, but discerning what is emerging? Study Group 9 reports helpd us discern how to journey synodally inviting the whole Church to recognize how God is already at work in people’s lives & histories. synod.va/en/the-synodal…

@griptmedia @JohnRya13591294 I struggle with this but see it as symptomatic of a deeper “culture of death” and fragmented community that treats life as a commodity rather than a gift, reflecting a loss of wonder at the sacredness of existence.

A Social Democrats' Bill to abolish the three-day waiting period for abortion and bring about "blanket decriminalisation" has been defeated in the Dáil tonight by 85 votes to 30: gript.ie/social-democra…

@WarriorWitness @Pontifex The Virgin Mary can convert our hearts, but she does so entirely through her intercession and by leading souls directly to Jesus Christ. We ask Mary to intercede for us and she gives us the courage to surrender to God.

@JonathanAl97546 @Pontifex In this prayer who is being asked to “convert out hearts?” Genuine question

Today, on the liturgical feast of #OurLadyOfFatima, we turn our gaze to the Shrine, where the Virgin Mary entrusted the three shepherd children with a message of #Peace. Let us entrust to the Immaculate Heart of Mary our cry for peace and harmony, which rises from every part of the world, especially from people afflicted by war. #PrayTogether

@stephengadubato @americamag Mass is about communion with Christ through His Church. Holy water, genuflecting, listening to the Word, offering your life at the altar, receiving Holy Communion (or seeking a blessing), then going on mission. Christ is truly present and glad you’re here. Welcome.

When at mass, don’t receive communion on the tongue (unless everyone else is doing it) I’m in @americamag americamagazine.org/faith-and-reas…

@DavQuinn The language is off-putting, but the meaning is clearer. Basically, the text is trying to say the Church’s message must be personal, relational and respectful of people’s freedom and the Spirit’s prior work in them.

Whatever else you might say about this new Vatican document, it is appallingly badly written. (Example in replies). synod.va/en/the-synodal…

@LeoVaradkar Why frame conservatism as potentially theocratic and progressiveness as authentic?

Writing in the Sunday Times about the interplay of religion and politics and how it is evolving and beoming more potent thetimes.com/world/ireland-…

@DavQuinn @DeclanBurke2 The reverse dynamic is also real: NGOs must often obey, adapt or at least not bite the hand that feeds. Many deliver valuable services efficiently where states struggle but it does undermine claims of pure "civil society" autonomy.

Strange how many of those who worried about the Church's undue influence over Governments don't worry about the undue influence of NGOs today.

In every leaf and fractal wave, In DNA’s exquisite code, Nature sings what faith still prays - A cosmos crafted, loved, bestowed.

In a culture that treats the unborn as disposable and the elderly as burdens, true freedom isn't 'my body, my choice' - it's the courage to protect the vulnerable at every stage of life. What if we measured societal health by how we treat the weakest among us?

Ambivalence in faith is not a dead end but a sacred space, a threshold where wrestling with uncertainty can lead to deeper trust. Our calling is to stand firm in this tension, pointing toward the Light that no darkness can extinguish, fostering hope and reconciliation.

@JamieBonkiewicz Critiques of pro-life views would tackle the science of embryology, ethical principles like the non-aggression axiom applied to the unborn, or policy outcomes rather than weak unprovable claims about what "they" would do in private. #prolife

The loudest pro-lifer you know would have an abortion in a second if they needed one.

@FrDavidPalmer St Aloysius' church in Glasgow

Back at London’s finest ecclesiastical architectural gem…

@EricLDaugh This is textbook straw manning. Accuse someone (Pope Leo XIV) of saying something they never said, then loudly “contradict” them to look tough.

🚨 JUST NOW — PRESIDENT TRUMP to POPE LEO: "As far as the Pope is concerned, it's very simple. Whether I make him happy or I don't make him happy, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon." "And he seemed to be saying that they can. And I say they cannot." "Because if that happened, the entire world would be hostage and we're not going to let that happen. That's my only message."