Sabine Kleyboldt (KNA) Rome (KNA) Personalities from the Church and academia have emphasised the importance of relations between the Vatican and China at an international congress. Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin emphasised on Tuesday in Rome that a direct dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities was needed. The Council of Shanghai,…
Jerusalem Patriarch deplores extent of destruction in Gaza
Gaza/Jerusalem (KNA) According to the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the city of Gaza is partly destroyed beyond recognition. The biggest problems for the civilian population, apart from the ongoing war, are medical care, the hygienic situation and the distribution of humanitarian aid, the Italian religious said on Monday in Jerusalem. He had previously visited…
UNHCR concerned about benefit cuts for Ukrainian Refugees
UNHCR is concerned at the scale of proposed reductions in social protection benefits for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection living in state provided serviced accommodation in Ireland announced this week. The proposed cuts would leave beneficiaries of temporary protection with just €38.80 a week, a drastic cut from the current €232 per week they have…
Marian apparitions have existed since early Christian times
Alexander Brüggemann (KNA) Since the 18th century, Marian apparitions have been categorised as “private revelations”. As such, they raise theological problems, since according to Church teaching, God’s revelation came to an end with the death of the last apostle. The Magisterium therefore makes a sharp distinction between revelation and private revelation. The latter can only…
And seven apparitions that are more contested
Ian Dunn
Although many may believe, the Vatican has not endorsed. Medjugorje Apparitions: Since June 24, 1981, six children in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, claimed to have regular visions of the Virgin Mary. These visions reportedly continue to this day, drawing millions of pilgrims annually. The Vatican has not issued an official statement confirming the supernatural nature…
Seven Marian Apparitions the Church says you should take seriously
All these apparitions have been marked with Feasts by the church. Our Lady of Good Health (India, 16th and 17th Centuries) The first apparition involved a boy encountering a woman and child by a lakeside, where he miraculously provided milk for them. In a subsequent apparition, a disabled boy received a request from Mary to…
The Confession Box – Episode 18
In the latest episode of The Confession Box, Wendy Grace talks to Fertility expert Dr Phil Boyle, the president of the International Institute for restorative reproductive medicine. Wendy and Dr Boyle explore Ireland’s falling fertility rate and the impact that the ‘birthgap’ will have socio economically, the Government spending taxpayers money on Fertility treatments that…
Six months in prison for sex at the altar
Traunstein (KNA) A 39-year-old man from Upper Bavaria had sexual intercourse with his wife on the altar of a church in the summer of 2022. The Traunstein district court has now handed him a six-month prison sentence for disturbing the practice of religion. The court confirmed corresponding newspaper reports from Thursday. The woman had previously…
Charity staff face threats and abuse
Chai Brady and Theo McDonald Charity workers providing support to Ireland’s migrants and asylum seekers are facing threats of having their workplaces burnt out as well as racist abuse online. Chairman of Tiglin, a charity that operates under a Christian ethos, Aubrey McCarthy has said the homeless charity have received online threats in recent weeks for helping…
GAA priests weigh in after pay-per-view row
Chai Brady
Mixed feelings reign among GAA devotee priests after the hullabaloo following Taoiseach Simon Harris’s criticism that the Munster Senior Hurling Championship fixture between Cork and Limerick was shown on the GAA’s pay-per-view service. Fr Harry Bohan AP, former manager of the Clare senior hurling team – a team he played on for eight years –…