Staff reporter A priest who gave Last Rites to a 12-year-old boy killed in a collision with a truck in Limerick last week described it as “terribly harrowing”. Wiktor Chojecki (12) was driving the car on the N21 near Adare when the incident occurred just before 2am. It’s believed he took the vehicle while family…
More than 800 anti-Christian incidents were reported in France in 2021. The provisional figures were announced on February 10 as part of an ongoing study of anti-religious acts in the Western European country, which has a population of 67 million people. Investigators have so far identified a total of 1,659 anti-religious acts last year, with…
The Holy Year 2025 should focus on “restoring a climate of hope and trust” after the coronavirus pandemic and helping people repair their relationships with God, with each other and with the Earth, Pope Francis said. “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength…
Brandon Scott Accord, the Church’s marriage care service which provides marriage preparation courses for Catholic couples, has recently encountered a sizeable increase in engagement with its services during the pandemic, with over 50% more couples availing of its marriage preparation course in 2021 when compared to 2020. According to the latest figures released by Accord,…
French Catholic nun turns 118 Sister Andre Randon, a French nun, celebrated her 118th birthday on February 11. This milestone makes her the second-oldest living person in the world and the oldest living person in Europe, according to the Gerontology Research Group, which validates details of people believed to be 110 or older. In anticipation…
Red wine and berries may improve Parkinson’s life expectancy Recent research from Queen’s University Belfast has found that people with Parkinson’s disease who eat more flavonoids – found in foods like berries, cocoa, tea and red wine – may have improved life expectancy compared to those who don’t. The research followed over 1,200 people who…
Staff reporter The Vatican’s reform of structures in the Church in Ireland took another step forward on Friday with news that Bishop of Clonfert Michael Duignan is to take over the running of the neighbouring Diocese of Galway. It is the first move in reforms that are expected to see a dramatic reduction in the…
The Catholic bishops of Quebec, while registering their opposition to the province’s imposition of Covid-19 vaccine passports as a requirement to attend religious services, said this week that they accept the requirement for now, and continue to petition the government to end it. “[I]t seems reasonable to us in the present circumstances to accept certain…
Speaking anonymously during an online discussion, a Christian cleric in Hong Kong said he thinks it is likely that greater repression by the Chinese government of religious freedom in Hong Kong, particularly the freedom of religious schools, is about to occur. The cleric, identified only as Reverend L, told the Hudson Institute’s Nina Shea February 10 that…
Andrea Gagliarducci According to Vatican sources, the establishment of diplomatic relations with Beijing is not on the horizon, despite what some recent appointments might suggest. On January 31, the Vatican said Msgr Arnaldo Catalan, its representative in Taiwan, was being posted to Rwanda, where he will serve as apostolic nuncio. Days later on February 5, Msgr…