There has been no Catholic Church inquiry into the priests who butchered and were then protected.

So the Supreme Pontiff thinks that demands for accountability on his part amounts to petty gossip of dominant opinion, which he is confident his faith will give him the courage to deflect.

Scientists in Germany have discovered evidence - in the form of a bone in a cave in Siberia - of a previously unknown human species that existed 30,000 years ago.

Aside from the presence of homo sapiens, it was known for a long time that there existed then another hominid, homo neanderthalis, which was around until about 25,000 years ago and which has received a bad press.

The newly-discovered species can be traced back to homo erectus, who left Africa almost two million years ago.

‘New Politics’, Fine Gael’s agenda for institutional reform, contains some surprisingly good ideas. By Vincent Browne

The Pope’s pastoral letter has forced Sean Fitzpatrick off the front pages. For the cardinal in Armagh,Sean Brady, the timing must be disappointing. Fitzpatrick had shifted the spotlight from him but now the focus is right back on the Catholic Church.

It is just not believable that the purpose of the oath taken by two boys in 1975 was other than to cover up abuse.

Yesterday morning the Catholic Communications Office issued a statement “to clarify media reporting on Cardinal Seán Brady”. The statement said that in late March 1975, Seán Brady was asked by his bishop, Francis McKiernan, to conduct a canonical inquiry into an allegation of child sexual abuse made by a boy in Dundalk and concerning Brendan Smyth.

Last Wednesday night , I received an email from someone I did not know. I thought at first that it was just a familiar piece of xenophobia (dislike or fear of the unknown, invariably foreigners), as the initial parts of the e-mail seemed to be setting up something allegedly ludicrous about Ireland.

Labour and SF seek power in coalition with Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael, neither of which has a real interest in equality.

The Sinn Féin website records that a motion at the party’s ardfheis last weekend, that Sinn Féin“will not, under any circumstances, enter into coalition or any other electoral pact with Fianna Fáil before, during or after a general election” was lost.

The Greens have been in therapy for a week now, and there is little evidence of their collective nervous breakdown abating.

Involuntary electro-convulsive treatment may be the only remedy, and Fianna Fáil is outside with the jumpstart paraphernalia.

(Mary McAleese has signed the consent order in the absence of the Greens’ capacity to make any informed decision themselves.)

(Picture: Most barristers can't run anything, aside from themselves)

There is a feature to the new “Aviva” stadium which is symptomatic of a cultural degeneration, I believe, with a disturbing political nuance. It relates also to the “O2” concert venue at the Point.

A little over six years ago, on January 27th, 2004, John O’Donoghue, then minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, made a speech which began: “This is a good day for Irish sport.” That morning the government had agreed to spend €190 million on a new stadium at Lansdowne Road, well over half the then projected cost of the venture.

Several cabinet ministers deserve to be reshuffled. Reshuffled a lot - in fact , reshuffled out.

It would be nice to name and shame them, but since - by definition - they are shameless, shaming them is impossible.

So let’s just name them. Two of the three Marys, for starters. The odd one out is Mary Coughlan - though she could do with a bit of reshuffling as well.