The greatest threat to Catholic education is a “lack of identity from within”, the bishop of Derry said in his address to schools for the new school year. “Unless we have some idea of what we stand for, we have nothing to communicate that justifies us being a separate sector,” Bishop Donal McKeown said, August…
Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott urged Catholics to write to their local state legislators because proposed euthanasia laws in New South Wales would fundamentally undermine the relationship between doctors and patients by legitimising doctor-assisted suicide in the state. “It would turn doctors from healers into killers, and that would be a tragedy for the…
Our parishes must be converted to make them fit for purpose by becoming missionary in orientation writes Fr Pat Collins CM It could be argued that the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) initiated a sort of theological and pastoral revolution in the Catholic Church. While the subject of evangelisation had not been mentioned at Vatican I…
Fr Daniel Swartz, chaplain to the US Marines, has safely left Afghanistan amid increasing Taliban control in the state following a period in which he provided pastoral services to Catholic Marines deployed in the country. Fr Swartz’s departure coincides with the US’ formal withdrawal of all troops from the country and the evacuation of Afghanistan’s…
After nearly 1,000 abuse claims were filed against the Diocese of Buffalo in the last two years, the diocese’s Bishop Michael Fisher called it a “tragedy of epic proportions”. The time window to file civil lawsuits in old cases of child sex abuse in New York expired on August 14. A total of 924 claims were…
Towards a Better Education of Children: Extracts from Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation on Love in the Family, ‘Amoris Laetitia’ edited by Bishop Brendan Leahy (Veritas, €2.99/£2.56) With back to school days already here, the minds of families all across Ireland are focused on the education of their children. Education for Catholic families is not merely a…
With the approval of Pope Francis, the Vatican has ordered the dissolution of an Italy-based community, which had its headquarters in Verona and communities in Medjugorje and Brazil. The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life determined the Regina Pacis Community was to be “suppressed”, citing problems with a lack of…
In a new series, we share the reflections of some readers of The Irish Catholic as the Church in Ireland continues the synodal journey Fast and Pray: this is the traditional way to prepare and we should be encouraged to fast as much as we can. Abstinence on Fridays is not hard or we could…
Pope Francis names religious sister to no. 2 position in Vatican’s social development office Pope Francis last Thursday named Italian economist and Catholic religious sister Alessandra Smerilli as secretary of the Vatican’s social development office on an interim basis. Sr Smerilli was appointed ad interim secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development following…
German bishop says he’s sceptical about exempting priests from celibacy A German bishop who co-chairs the Synodal Path’s forum on priests said he is “sceptical” about exempting Catholic priests from celibacy. Bishop Felix Genn of Münster said he accepted that people were deciding not to become priests because they did not feel called to celibacy,…