
Robert Brehl
Perhaps Carolyn Bennett should check her mirror
Have you heard the one about the long-time politician preaching to Catholics about morals and obligations?
Off Ireland's beaten track
DROGHEDA, Ireland - Beyond the must-see sites and attractions like the Cliffs of Moher, Giant’s Causeway and the Guinness warehouse, there are many places in Ireland that are overlooked by tourists.
A tale of two cities
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND - Even though technically they’re in two different countries, Ireland’s two biggest cities, Dublin and Belfast, are a two-hour drive apart with no border checkpoint.
Irish rebels with a cause not forgotten
DUBLIN, Ireland - This Easter marks the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland against British rule, one of the most important events in Irish history.
A little girl, a potato and the President
A long-anticipated trip to Ireland, researching ancestors, a poignant story about children playing with a potato, even the name Barack Obama, all eventually led me to pondering the plight of Syrian refugees and the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace.
A question thousands of years in the asking
Standing recently inside one of the oldest tombs in the world, with about 200,000 tonnes of stone above and around me, strange thoughts manifested in the darkness. The thoughts were not of fear but of perplexity about today’s materialistic, even hedonistic, culture.
My most memorable Christmas gift
At a recent dinner party, talk turned to most memorable Christmas gifts received. There was a first bicycle, some jewelry and a couple “bucket-list” trips mentioned.
Pope set-up says plenty about rifts in Church
Francis caught up in smear job by social ideologues
Jim’s death diminishes me, but also gives me strength
Some weeks ago, I mentioned an inevitable goodbye that would take place with a dear friend whom I met on the first day of Grade 9 at Neil McNeil High School in Toronto’s east end 40 years ago next week.
Pope rattles some American chains
The pollster Gallup reports Pope Francis’ popularity in the United States has dropped significantly over the past year, fueled by his writings and teachings surrounding the environment, capitalism, income inequality and other issues.