As the House of Representatives passes the Equality Act, US bishops warn the mandates will “discriminate against people of faith” by adversely affecting charities and their beneficiaries, conscience rights, women’s sports, “and sex-specific facilities”. The bill, known as HR 5 and recently reintroduced in the House, also provides for taxpayer funding of abortion and limits…
A priest related to Princes William and Harry took a major step closer to sainthood when Pope Francis declared him venerable. Like St John Henry Newman, Passionist Fr Ignatius Spencer is considered one of the towering figures of the 19th-century revival of English Catholicism, often referred to by church historians as the “Second Spring”. The…
The beloved Mr Potato Head toy brand is set to become ‘Potato Head’ in a move which sees the brand “reimagined for the modern consumer”. Announced late last week, the company was quick to clarify that both the Mr and Mrs Potato Head characters would still be available to buy. “Hasbro is making sure all…
The human rights abuses of the communist regime are becoming worse by the day, writes David Quinn W hen Irish people pay attention to what is happening overseas, it is mainly what is happening in Britain and America that occupies our minds. That’s understandable, because so many Irish live in those countries and Britain is…
Covid may be on everyone’s mind, but watching our weight is still essential, writes Jason Osborne Perhaps we should have anticipated it, but one of the real challenges of lockdown life has been making sure that our weight doesn’t change for the worse. There is any number of reasons why it could, from stress about…
The Irish Jesuits this week made public the name of a former teacher and priest who abused boys while he was on the teaching staff of Dublin’s Belvedere College in the 1970s. In a statement, the Irish Province said the decision to name Joseph Marmion SJ “is being taken following engagement with a former pupil…
Miles to go before I sleep: Letters on hope, death and learning to live by Claire Gilbert (Hodder &Stoughton, £16.99) Out this month, Claire Gilbert’s unusual book which might have been a memoir of dying, becomes instead a celebration of living. It is a remarkable book, one which (as Rowan Williams is quoted as saying), is…
The gulf between Joe Biden and the US bishops is a symptom of a divided Church, writes Jason Osborne Plenty has already been said about the fractious state the United States find themselves in; religiously, politically and culturally. It was into this mire that President Joe Biden has waded, himself a flash point in many…
After overcoming a spike in cases in January, Malawi is “hopeful” of continued improvement as vaccines start to arrive, says Bishop John Ryan of Mzuzu Diocese. Bishop Ryan, a St Patrick’s Missionary, has been bishop in Mzuzu since 2016 and told The Irish Catholic that the situation there “is not as bad as in Europe”.…
Personal Profile When Catholics are in school or college, they receive education on the Catholic Faith and have ready-made Faith communities. When they leave school for the world of work, this access to education and community can fall away. This was the experience of Patrick Edmund McCormick Williams, an Austrian Catholic who moved to Ireland…
David Quinn
Peter Costello
Ruadhán Jones