Leah Darrow, once an America’s Next Top Model contestant (2004), looks beyond physical beauty in an extract from her new book. My decision to audition for America’s Next Top Model wasn’t exactly well thought out. In fact, I had only watched a few minutes of the previous cycle before I decided to audition in St…
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has issued special guidelines after several people in Bethlehem tested positive for the coronavirus last week. The directive comes after a decision by the Palestinian Ministry of Health to close all schools, places of worship and holy sites in Bethlehem and Jericho for two weeks. Pastoral region In a letter…
The Bishops of Mexico have voiced their support for a 24-hour “National Women’s Strike” aimed at bringing attention to violence committed against women in the country. The landmark event took place in Mexico City on March 9 and saw women stay away from offices, schools, restaurants, shops and public transport for the whole day. Mexican…
Germany and Spain have both elected new chairmen to head their respective bishops’ conference in the past week. Bishop Georg Batzing of Limburg succeeds Cardinal Reinhard Marx in Germany as conference chairman, while Spanish bishops have put their trust in Cardinal Juan José Omella of Barcelona to lead them. Baetzing, 58, is an advocate of…
New document studies correlation between Faith and sacraments A new document produced by the International Theological Commission (ITC) which studies the relationship between Catholicism and the sacraments has been issued last week. The document, titled ‘The Reciprocity between Faith and Sacraments in the Sacramental Economy’, examines a deeper understanding of the sacramental nature of Faith…
A Bishop in South Africa has claimed the worship of God is weak today because it has to compete with the modern consumer culture of “buying and selling”. Bishop Sithembele Sipuka of Mthatha said consumption leaves us “empty” and that the coverage of sport has “dethroned God” during a speech in Eastern Cape last week.…
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin – who is due to tender his resignation next month – has recalled a senior cleric from Rome and appointed him as Vicar with responsibility for priests. The appointment of Msgr Ciaran O’Carroll, who is currently rector of the Pontifical Irish College, is being seen as some as Dr Martin wanting to…
Baby Bumblebees bear the brunt of pesticides The growth of baby bumblebees’ brains can be damaged by certain pesticides, according to research by Imperial College London. Bees that had been affected by pesticides showed significantly impaired learning abilities compared to that had not. This was tested by seeing if the bees were able to associate…
Access to the Sunday Mass at Rome’s Pontifical Irish College has been confined to members of the college community as concerns around coronavirus restrict life in the eternal city. Students in the college were given the options to stay on or return to Ireland and The Irish Catholic understands that the majority have opted to stay.…
Dear Editor, I refer to the letter entitled ‘Concern about the future of Accord’ (IC 27/02/2020), which discusses “the decline in the amount of people availing of its marriage and counselling services”. We live in an age where the TV, cinema, and the printed/social media at large frequently portray marriage as a form of mere…