Leading canon lawyers have poured cold water on suggestions by Pope Francis that “the great majority” of Catholic marriages may in fact be invalid. The Pope commented at a press conference at the Diocese of Rome’s pastoral congress that the prevalent “culture of the provisional” means couples getting married often don’t understand what it means…

Amnesty Ireland’s push for abortion in Ireland does not reflect the organisation’s historic values and is hurting its traditional role, according to members of the Kells Amnesty International Group. The group, which was founded in 1986, is to disband today (Thursday) in protest against Amnesty Ireland’s continued campaigning on the abortion issue. “It seems that…

The chaplain to the Irish community in Paris has heaped praise on fans who travelled to France to support the boys in green at the Euros, saying they managed to “melt the hearts” of the French. Fr Dwayne Gavin told The Irish Catholic that the atmosphere in Paris was “electric” ahead of Ireland’s recent clash…

Church leaders have agreed to a new national plan that aims to build a culture of vocations in parishes and re-energise the push to promote priesthood and religious life. The establishment of a new national coordinating office is a key part of the new strategy which aims to revolutionise vocations promotion after years of decline.…

Staff reporter Keith Duffy assured his mother that he would hand deliver her petitions to the grotto at Lourdes before embarking on a mammoth 550km cycle to the Marian shrine in the south of France. The former Boyzone singer joined a group cycling from Limerick to Lourdes in Nantes to raise money for Cliona’s Foundation, a…

The proposed Citizens’ Assembly on abortion is a “pretend process with a prearranged outcome”, the Pro Life Campaign (PLC) has said. Responding to the announcement that the assembly shall be set up soon, PLC spokesperson Cora Sherlock said “no amount of spin from Government ministers can disguise the fact that the process is about anything…

Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson on Foreign Affairs has said he intends to press the Government on having the genocidal actions of so-called Islamic State (ISIS) referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Speaking to The Irish Catholic this week, and as the world marked World Refugee Day, Brendan Smith TD said Ireland “should be relentless” in…