The president of the Spanish bishops’ conference has appealed for a former Catalan bishop to have his privacy respected, following media reports he moved in with an erotic fiction writer two weeks after resigning his see. “I share the pain of his family and the Church of Solsona, which has been touched by this, along…
Gerard Gallagher One of the daily rituals and traditions we have as a family is saying grace before meals when we gather at the table. This has continued over the years from when my children were young. It took place regardless of who was at the table, friends, grandparents, visitors and now girlfriends! There is…
Pope: You can’t be missionaries if you stop adoring the Lord Addressing Claretians, who are in Rome for their General Chapter, Pope Francis noted that the theme of their meeting – “Rooted and Bold” – “presupposes a life of prayer and contemplation that allows you to contemplate the mirror, which is Christ, so that you…
Amateur archaeologist unearths pre-Viking treasure in Denmark An amateur archaeologist has found 22 gold objects with sixth century symbols that could yield new details about pre-Viking peoples in Denmark, the museum that will house the treasure has said. Some of the objects have runic motifs and inscriptions which may refer to the rulers of the…
Notebook Mark Pattison The 20th anniversary remembrances of the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States is renewing a canonisation push for the first identified casualty: Franciscan Fr Mychal Judge. Fr Judge, a New York Fire Department chaplain, was at the World Trade Centre site praying with and ministering to attack victims when debris falling…
Dear Editor, This is a sad time for older supporters of the SDLP with the passing of Pat Hume, just over a year after the death of her husband and Nobel Laureate John. That more or less concludes the era of the more successful SDLP with John’s votes continually maintaining a healthy lead over Sinn…
UK bishops criticise upcoming arms fair A major arms fair in London has drawn fire from Catholic bishops and justice and peace groups who say the trade in weaponry fuels conflict around the world. In a joint statement, they criticized the DSEI arms fair, which will bring together more than 1,600 companies that develop, manufacture…
Jason Osborne and Ruadhán Jones The focus on lay leadership in the Church of Legion of Mary founder Frank Duff has been hailed as “prophetic” as celebrations get underway to mark the centenary of the organisation. The Irish Catholic can also reveal that final preparations are now underway to progress the cause for canonisation of…
“If John brought the brilliant mind to the peace-making then Pat brought the pure heart,” the funeral Mass of Pat Hume was told this week. Fr Paul Farren paid tribute to Mrs Hume both as a community activist and as a mother. The funeral of the 83-year-old former teacher was held in St Eugene’s Cathedral…
A former Manchester United player turned priest has cautioned against turning football into a god and treating it as a religion. Fr Philip Mulryne OP, who spent most of his career with Norwich City, said football was fundamentally good and was a wonderful vehicle for teaching virtue but should be kept in perspective. Speaking on…