Summit pushes for Church finance reform Broad reforms that would contribute to greater accountability and transparency regarding Church finances are needed to address the financial crisis the Church faces and is intensifying because of the coronavirus pandemic, said a report emerging from a winter summit of lay, religious and clergy leaders. The report assembled by…
Dear Editor, Every Thursday morning without fail your fine newspaper arrives through my letterbox. You and your staff and team of writers deserve huge credit for keeping the paper going with such exceptional quality during what most be one of the most challenging period that any of us will ever experience. The Irish Catholic is…
The Sunday Gospel Fr Silvester O’Flynn OFM Cap. In today’s Gospel (Matthew 13:44-52), Jesus continues the seven parables about the kingdom of Heaven in our lives. What is this Kingdom? In the scriptures, the Kingdom of Heaven has several different shades of meaning. In today’s parables it refers to the hidden treasure in the heart:…
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has insisted that the failure to protect residents in nursing homes from coronavirus must be fully investigated. “The deaths in nursing homes and the failures of the Government is a national scandal and must be examined and investigated to ensure that they never occur again,” he told The Irish Catholic. Of…
Jason Osborne Doras, a Limerick-based migrant and refugee support organisation, has raised renewed concerns over the safety of residents in Direct Provision following the report of alleged sexual assault in an accommodation centre. “People fleeing harm should not be exposed to further harm when they arrive here in Ireland,” said Doras CEO, John Lannon. “The…
Going against the grain has earned Poland an international media rebuke, writes Jason Osborne Poland has opted for the road less travelled by with its re-election of incumbent Andrzej Duda for a second term as president following a tight race against Warsaw mayor, Rafał Trzaskowski. Mr Duda’s victory was sealed with the reigning president securing…
Churches should be treated like any other institution when it comes to covid grants, said Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill. Deputy Cahill told The Irish Catholic that Churches loss of income and expenses accrued as a result of lockdown should be taken into account. “Like many other institutions, Churches’ sources of income have been greatly restricted,” said…
A Hungarian Christian Democrat member of the European Parliament has warned that growing secularism is to blame for Europe’s silence on human rights violations against religious minorities. As the parliament debated the 2019 human rights annual report, György Hölvényi MEP insisted that “if Europe, guided by extreme secularism, is silent on violations against religious minorities,…
Nearly every US bishop responding to a survey said the coronavirus pandemic has seriously affected the celebration of the sacraments and rites and sacramental preparation programmes in their dioceses. Confirmations, first Communions, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and other sacramental preparation were the ministries most often cited by the bishops as being affected,…
We rightly mourn the deaths of over 1,700 people from Covid-19 but the loss of more than 7,000 little ones from abortion passes almost without comment As a Church, it’s the very least we can do in response to the deafening silence from the media and the majority of politicians who have largely ignored the…