(Previous report can be found here) Opening the Vatican tombs of a princess and a duchess July 11 in a search for the remains of a young Italian woman missing for more than 30 years, the Vatican found no human remains at all. “The search had a negative result,” said Alessandro Gisotti, interim director of…
“Every life is valuable, always,” Pope Francis tweeted after offering prayers for Vincent Lambert, a 42-year-old French man who died today, nine days after doctors stopped providing him with nutrition and hydration. “May God the Father welcome Vincent Lambert in his arms,” the Pope’s tweet said. “Let us not build a civilization that discards persons…
EXCLUSIVE Ireland could be set to have 42 more martyrs recognised by the Church in the near future, with Archbishop Eamon Martin revealing that the process of readying their causes for submission to Rome is at “an advanced stage”. Speaking to The Irish Catholic at Drogheda’s annual celebration of St Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop Martin…
The Archbishop of Dublin raised the “challenges faced by parents of children with autism” during closed Government talks last week. The plenary meeting of the Church-State dialogue included 28 representatives of Churches, Faith Communities and Non-Confessional Organisations. According to the Archdiocese of Dublin their delegates “spoke on respect for and protection of the specific contribution…
In a surprising move at the end of last month, Pope Francis gave relics attributed to St Peter the Apostle to the Orthodox Church. While the gesture was widely praised, some observers have suggested it was inappropriate given the centrality of Rome for Catholics, and so the natural and only location for the first Pope’s…
I heard yet another sermon last Sunday in which the priest, speaking about the need for evangelisation, lamented the current shortage of priestly vocations. His sermon was well-constructed – this was in the Dublin diocese – and he spoke well, but he was old, and there was a perceptible note of weariness in his voice. He…
The View Stewardship of the environment is a key Catholic value. Sometimes it is frustratingly hard to implement this value as families and individuals. I am sure that most of us were horrified by the recently published photos of Little Skellig island in Kerry. Gannets are plucking from the sea plastic debris, such as…
Church environmental lobbyists have criticised the Government’s blocking of the Climate Emergency Measures Bill, describing it as having acted as “judge, jury and executioner”. The bill to bar the granting of new licences for oil and gas exploration in Ireland had passed two separate votes in the Dáil last year, but was prevented from moving…
John McGuirk An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was at pains last week to distance himself from reports that he was being considered for the top job in the European Union – President of the Commission. Amid reports that he was in line to replace Jean-Claude Juncker, both the Taoiseach and his party seemed very eager…
With “overwhelming joy”, Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria announced that Pope Francis has approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of Archbishop Fulton Sheen. “Now that the miracle has been confirmed by Pope Francis, the Diocese of Peoria can formally begin planning for the beatification of Archbishop Sheen, which will take place in Peoria,” according…
Greg Daly
Chai Brady
Colm Fitzpatrick
Mary Kenny
Breda O'Brien