European pro-life groups are celebrating this week as more than 1.8 million signatures have been gathered for a campaign aimed at preventing the funding of embryo research in the EU.  ‘One of Us’ was one of the first registered European citizens’ initiatives (ECI) in the European Union, and according to the initiative’s president, Grégor Puppinck, the…

Fr Jerome Murphy-O’Connor OP, who died in the early hours of November 11 in Jerusalem, has been described as a “colossus” in biblical scholarship. The Cork-native spent more than 45 years working and researching in the Holy Land. Born in 1935, he was acknowledged as one of the foremost New Testament scholars in the world,…

‘There is still so much needed’

A newly established confraternity for Irish clergy hopes to support clerics in their lives and ministry, the group’s chairman has said. Established during a meeting of priests in Knock, Co. Mayo in late October, the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy is based on successful bodies already working for the wellbeing of priests in Australia, the United…

Paul Keenan and Cathal Barry Parishes across Ireland are mounting massive fundraising efforts for the Philippines as Irish missionaries there say more aid is urgently needed. In the wake of super-typhoon Haiyan, some 10 million people are directly affected and more than 5 million people left homeless. The death toll is expected to be in…

The Catholic Primary Schools Management Association (CPSMA) has issued a cautious welcome to Education Minister Ruairí Quinn’s move to reduce the cost of school uniforms. CPSMA General Secretary Fr Tom Deenihan told The Irish Catholic he “welcomes any initiative that would reduce the costs of school uniforms for parents”. However, he added that the decision…

Pakistan – Two Christians are facing charges under the country’s blasphemy laws after a Muslim accused them of desecrating pages of the Koran. Brothers Tariq and Arif Masih were pursued by police in Wazirabad following a complaint to police that the pair had used pages of the Muslim holy book while preparing fireworks. While Arif…

Fr Patrick Devine received the 2013 International Caring Award in Washington DC last week