Letter from Iraq Dale Gavlak Walking through this mainly Christian town outside of Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, it’s easy to see many changes since the victims of Islamic State militants fled here for safety seven years ago. Gone are the tents and caravans that dotted church yards and open fields to house those…
Pope Francis prays for Wisconsin parade victims Pope Francis is praying for the people injured and killed by an SUV that ploughed into marchers during a Christmas parade in the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha, the Vatican press office said last Tuesday. A message sent to Archbishop Jerome E Listecki of Milwaukee said that the Pope was…
NASA launches spacecraft to kick asteroid off course A NASA mission to deliberately smash a spacecraft into an asteroid – a test run should humanity ever need to stop a giant space rock from wiping out life on Earth – blasted off last week from California. It may sound like science fiction, but the DART…
Dear Editor, I couldn’t agree more than with Bishop Kevin Doran in his wish for theology to be taught at all Irish universities [The Irish Catholic – October 14, 2021]. I am a graduate from University College Dublin and, as a student, wondered why there was no teaching on faith or theology in the college.…
Church in Italy criticises first legally assisted suicide in country The Catholic Church in Italy said that life must be “protected and defended” after local health authorities in Italy approved the country’s first legally obtained assisted suicide. The ethics committee of the health service of the Italian city of Ancona ruled on November 23 that…
A Polish, Catholic Olympian who auctioned her silver medal in August to pay for eight-month-old Miłosz’s heart surgery, was reunited with the happy boy earlier this week following the successful surgery. Maria Andrejczyk, a devout Catholic, who credits her adherence to the Faith to her upbringing, offered to auction off the silver medal she won…
According to newly published data from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the number of hate crimes against Christians in Europe rose sharply in 2020. The OSCE data, published November 16, documented 980 incidents against Christians, including arson attacks on Catholic churches, desecration and robbery of Eucharistic hosts, assaults on priests, and…
US authorities have confirmed that at least five people have been killed, with a Catholic priest, parishioners, and Catholic schoolchildren among the 40 injured when an SUV ploughed into marchers during a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Sunday. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee also clarified that one of the priests in the diocese was among…
New guidelines on funeral ministry in the diocese of Cork and Ross call for the introduction of funeral ministry teams in all parishes. The guidelines also update regulations around the repose of the deceased in a church, warning that churches are not to be used as funeral homes. The changes come after extensive collaboration between…
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, Chairman of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States, spoke of a “dialogue of love” between the two faiths and the potential for increased unity in a historic address to the Fall General Assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archbishop Elpidophoros said he had “heartfelt…