President Higgins’ view of post-independence Ireland is a caricature, writes David Quinn How should we remember 1916? What does justice to all the different strands of the Easter Rising? President Michael D. Higgins has spoken of the need for “ethical remembering”, by which he means a form of remembering that takes account of all the…
A Derry priest has accused certain elements of the media of adding to the pain of the woman who lost five family members when their car slipped off Buncrana pier, Co. Donegal. Fr Paddy O’Kane, parish priest in the family’s hometown of Ballymagroarty in Derry, has visited Louise James every day since the accident on…
A troubled nation may face more testing times, writes Paul Keenan The dying days of March proved to be a dreadful period for the Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). On March 20, a much-respected Assumptionist priest, Fr Vincent Machozi, was gunned down in his parish in North Kivu Province in the east…
Bishop Brendan Leahy has urged those responsible for thefts at two Limerick city churches “to examine their conscience”. Almost €1,000 was stolen in thefts which occurred in St Paul’s Church in Dooradoyle and St Oliver Plunkett’s Church in Mungret. Speaking on local radio Bishop Leahy said the money was “donated to the Church for activities…
A prominent republican priest has strongly rebuked Bob Geldof’s remarks comparing the leaders of the 1916 Rising to jihadi suicide bombers. Fr Joe McVeigh, who is based in Co. Fermanagh, told The Irish Catholic that the controversial singers’ comparison was “outrageous”. “Normally I do not pay much attention to anything Geldof has to say. He…
Schools need to embrace Christian meditation The Diocese of Elphin has urged Catholic schools to try Christian meditation, noting that the practice appears absent from many schools in the diocese. In a statement on Facebook, the diocese said there is “a lot of talk about ‘mindfulness’ these days”, adding that it was “strange” that so few people seem to be…
Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons has said that the Catholic Church is right to say abortion is a sin, because it harms women. The Cork-based actor, who is married to Irish actress Sinead Cusack, said that while he believed “that women should be allowed to make the decision”, that he also believed the Church is correct…
Paranoia as a result of the clerical sex abuse scandals is “hampering” priests from engaging fully with society, a prominent psychotherapist has warned. Kevin Egan, who has lectured in All Hallows College in psychology and pastoral theology, told The Irish Catholic that “the main thing that blocks mission in the Church today is paranoia or…
Bernadette Smyth Abortion is a criminal offence in Northern Ireland, governed by sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and section 25 of the Criminal Justice Act (NI) 1945. The core purpose of this law is the protection of the unborn child. Ever since the Family Planning Association of Northern…
The Archbishop of Armagh has called for “the shocking increase in levels of childhood poverty” in the North to be a priority in the upcoming Assembly election. Archbishop Eamon Martin led a delegation from the Northern Ireland Catholic Council on Social Affairs (NICCOSA) for the first official meeting between representatives of the Catholic Church and…
David Quinn
Mags Gargan
Paul Keenan
Cathal Barry