In light of a changing culture in Ireland, priests have said that engaged couples should be made aware of the fact that the Sacrament of Marriage can take place as its own rite, without requiring the celebration of the Eucharist. This comes following the continued general decline of religious weddings in Ireland, with two in…
Claims that the Vatican’s chief safeguarding body is experiencing “growing pains” as it develops a new methodology have been knocked down by a former member and survivor of clerical abuse. No one knows what the Commission for the Protection of Minors is doing, who is driving change and where financing is coming from because “it’s…
The Government’s hate speech bill has the potential to cause “immense damage” to free speech and democracy in Ireland, according to the former Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland. Baroness Nuala O’Loan, a member of the House of Lords, has said the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022 will create great…
A priest who became known around the world for his ministry at the time of the 1998 Omagh bombing has been remembered as a warm-hearted pastoral man. Fr Kevin Mullan died in the early hours of Saturday morning and was buried following Requiem Mass in his native Omagh on Tuesday. In a demonstration of the…
The legalisation of euthanasia puts pressure on the elderly and people with disabilities to “simply dispose of themselves”, political party Aontú has insisted in their manifesto released this week. Aontú launched the party’s local election 2023 manifesto on Tuesday in Belfast. It also highlights the political crises facing the North and the need to push…
Almost half of Irish adults interact with charities through attending a religious service, a new study from the Irish Charities Regulator shows. At 47% of Irish adults, attending a religious service is second only to buying from a charity store (54%) for involvement with charitable organisations, research from Amárach released Tuesday shows. People over 55…
The woman in the pew just behind me smiled pleasantly at the “sign of peace” and I returned her friendly greeting. I didn’t know her well, but had occasionally encountered her locally. Later, after Mass, she spoke to me some more. An attractive lady in her 60s, she had recently been widowed, after many decades…
The rights to freedom of thought, expression and belief were accepted by countries as part of their international legal obligations under the UN Declaration of Human Rights 75 years ago. It was followed in 1957 by the European Convention on Human Rights. In the 50 years before the universal declaration, there had been two world…
Well-known American actor Chris Pratt has said the example of Christ’s suffering has helped him deal with criticism about his Christian faith. At a screening for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Mr Pratt said that criticism of Christian beliefs is “nothing knew”. “That’s the way it is, nothing new, 2,000 years ago they hated…
Pope Francis carries with him a particular fondness for a Marian devotion that he had encountered in Bavaria, writes Fr Hedwig Lewis SJ ‘Mary Untier of Knots, pray for us’ would be a strange-sounding invocation in the Litany to Our Lady to which we are so accustomed. In fact, devotion to the Blessed Virgin under this…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady
Mary Kenny
Nuala O’Loan