US presidential candidate Joe Biden has highlighted his Catholic Faith in a new campaign advertisement released last week. The Democratic Party representative hopes focusing on religion will boost his ratings after seeing a sharp decline in his poll numbers following recent losses in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Mr Biden, who is a…
Women are 14 times more likely than men to be killed by disasters resulting from climate change according to a report released by Trócaire. Released on Tuesday it notes that despite barriers for women engaging in decisions on climate change they “are often at the forefront of tackling climate change and human rights abuses and…
Caoimhe de Barra Over the coming days and weeks, the faces of two women will adorn the walls and tables of homes in parishes all over Ireland. Standing alongside their young children, Angela and Madris are like all other mothers in the world who want to provide futures for their children. But these two mothers…
Thomas Morrissey The Enigma of Arthur Griffith: ‘Father of Us All’ by Colum Kenny (Merrion Press, €19.95) The sub-title ‘Father of Us All’ stems from a declaration of W.T. Cosgrave in 1925 attributing to Michael Collins the statement: “Griffith was the greatest man of his age, the father of us all.” There have been a…
Three former pupils of an Argentine school for the deaf have travelled to Rome to demand the release of records on priests who abused them. Daniel Sgardelis, one of those abused at the Provolo Institute for the Deaf in La Plata, said he wants an international law which would force the Vatican to “stop covering…
Eduardo Campos Lima The search for a new dialogue between black Catholics and the hierarchy is on the agenda with Afro-Brazilian Catholic activists struggling to promote and increase participation of black people in the Church and society. Almost 56% of Brazil’s population has some African descent and, according to a recent survey on religion…
Eight Christians accused of kidnapping 60 children for the purpose of converting them to Christianity have been acquitted in India. The six men and two women were alleged to have attempted an illegal religious conversion of tribal children were freed in Madhya Pradesh on February 18. The adults were on their way to Nagpur with…
Catholic bishops in East Africa have called for increased action to combat the region’s worst desert locust infestation in 70 years. Like scenes from the Book of Exodus, swarms of locusts are ravaging grazing lands and endangering the economies of seven countries heavily dependent on agriculture for food security. Bishop Giorgio Bertin, who heads the Church…
P. Fintan Lyons O.S.B. Lent is not likely to be anyone’s favourite season. There is enough to contend with in the weather of February and March, even if the days towards the end are brighter and there are signs of growth in an already resurgent nature. The most perceptible positive feature of the passing…
First meeting between China and Vatican for 70 years A first meeting between The Holy See and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since 1951 took place in Germany on February 14. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, met with PRC State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi,…