Ruadhán JonesA high court judge has said Catholic businessman Declan Ganley’s case against Covid-19 restrictions on Mass is moot as the restrictions have lapsed
Declan Ganley’s Mass-ban case now moot, says judge
Month: May 2021
Archbishop Farrell defends Church sex-ed in Catholic schools
Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell has defended the place of Church teaching on sexuality in Catholic schools, despite a backlash by politicians. Dr Farrell insisted that the new sexuality and relationships resource Flourish affirms the “core of Judeo-Christian religion” and “celebrates life and love”. Dr Farrell was speaking at the annual conference of the Catholic Primary School…
Polish cardinal recalls assassination attempt on St John Paul II on 40th anniversary
A cardinal has recalled the moment that St John Paul II was shot in St Peter’s Square 40 years on from the attempted assassination. The Polish Pope collapsed into the arms of the then Msgr Stanisław Dziwisz when he was struck by four bullets on May 13, 1981. “Holding the slumping and heavily bleeding Holy…
Tears and relief – Catholics killed by British Army ‘entirely innocent’
Chai Brady
A priest and nine other Catholics shot dead by the British Army in Belfast in 1971 “were entirely innocent of any wrongdoings” and killed “without justification,” a fresh inquest has found. The coroner described the use of force by the troops as “disproportionate” and there were emotional scenes as families reacted to the vindication of…
Joy at return to Mass with 1 in 4 saying mental health was affected
There was “absolute delight” as people returned to Mass this week, after stark figures revealed that one in four pre-pandemic regular church-goers said that the pandemic-imposed Mass ban has harmed their mental health. A quarter of those polled said the inability to gather for Mass had affected their sense of wellbeing while 61% of respondents…
Gender-neutral bathrooms a result of identity confusion priest says
Gender-neutral bathrooms are the product of a lack of understanding about identity, a Wicklow-based priest has said. This comes as the Department of Education recently announced that gender neutral toilets are an option for schools under new design guidance. In the past few years, a number of secondary schools around the country have sought permission…
Families of overseas prisoners ‘utterly let down’ by the State
Not one Irish prisoner has been transferred to the State from overseas in the last four years, with a Catholic charity accusing the Government of causing families “anxiety” and not reforming a “broken system”. The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) expressed concern after the publication of the 2020 annual report on prisoners transferred into…
Frank Skinner opens up about the Faith
Prayer is the one place you can be “as profoundly you as you can be,” TV star Frank Skinner told the BBC’s Songs of Praise recently. The famous comedian, writer, TV presenter and actor spoke of his up-and-down relationship with the Faith but revealed the importance it has in his life at this stage. “I…
Now is precisely the time to talk about a new Ireland
Everyone who has an interest in a peaceful transition to a more democratic Ireland ought to engage on unity, writes Fr Joe McVeigh Martin Mansergh, in his recent column in The Irish Catholic, argues that this is not the time to be talking about a border poll. I totally disagree with him. The Belfast/Good Friday agreement…
Limerick report finds scope for increased lay leadership
A Limerick diocesan report has found that there needs to be a “radical change of mindset” to balance leadership within the Church and “recognise the role of women”. The ‘Role of Women in Church Leadership Working Group Report’ found that “If you went into any parish, any church in the country, you would find that…