The catholic Archbishop of Freiburg , Stephan Burger, has said he is opposed to church funeral services for pets. “I am clearly in favour of an ethically responsible treatment of animals and am concerned about animal welfare. But we should not humanise animals. A catholic mourning rite specifically for pets is unthinkable for me,” he told…
Yes, it’s that time of year again and already the advertisements are on the air, the shops have opened Special Gift Department areas and Kevin the Carrot, and the Elf on the Shelf are waiting in the wings! All these are undeniably fun, but they are not what Christmas is about. If you want to…
In the latest episode of The Confession Box, Brandon Scott and editor Michael Kelly discuss the news pieces from this week’s issue of The Irish Catholic. Namely, Cardinal Newman being considered for the position of Doctor of the Church, the colourful life of serial entrepreneur of Ben Dunne who passed away recently, the meaning of…
Dominican friars in Dublin say they are praying for all involved after a stabbing incident at a nearby Catholic school in the bustling city centre of the capital. Eyewitness described a scene of terror after three children and their teacher, a woman in her 30s, were stabbed near the school on Thursday afternoon. The attack occurred…
The founder of University College Dublin could soon be one of only a select few figures to be declared a ‘Doctor of the Church’ with momentum growing to grant Cardinal John Henry Newman the rare ecclesiastical honour. Cardinal Newman, who was made a saint by Pope Francis in 2019, has sometimes been referred to as…
Well-known businessman Ben Dunne, who died aged 74 on Sunday, had a prayer he said every day. The controversial former chief executive of Dunnes Stores, who also built a chain of gyms, died during a trip to Dubai. During an interview with RTÉ in 2021 regarding the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic Mr Dunne said…
Dedicated football fan Bishop Tony Farquhar will “long be remembered for his disarming presence, his affectionate smile and his pastoral charity”, according to Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry diocese following his death last week. The late Belfast-born Bishop Farquhar, one of the longest serving bishops in Ireland’s history, famously set up the meeting between the…
Catholic schools’ bodies have warned that a draft for a new SPHE curriculum for Senior Cycle “ignores” and “underplays” spiritual wellbeing. However, they broadly welcomed the revision of the social, personal and health education (SPHE) curriculum, calling it “coherent and relevant” to the lives of modern teens. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA)…
A parish priest who snuffed out a fire set deliberately at the door of his church in Ballymoney welcomed messages of support from parishioners and the community. The arsonist targeted the side door of the Church of Our Lady and St Patrick at approximately 9.45pm on Sunday. Fr Damian McCaughan PP said he heard the…
After a Finnish MP was acquitted of hate speech charges levelled against her for expressing Christian beliefs about marriage, an Irish lawyer said her case showed the “chilling effect” such laws can have on Christians. As the Irish Government considers introducing its own hate speech laws, Mr Lorcan Price warned Catholics in Ireland that authorities…
Michael Kelly
Chai Brady
Ruadhán Jones