A gunman opened fire inside a Brazilian church, killing four people and injuring four others before turning the gun on himself, police have said. The shooting occurred just as parishioners from Our Lady of the Conception Cathedral in Campinas, near Sao Paulo, were leaving a midday Mass. “I conducted the Mass at 12.15, at the…
Fr Bernard Healy One of the beauties of our Faith is that it makes itself at home in every nation and culture. Whilst we all celebrate the same Christmas, we do so differently depending on the traditions and circumstances of our own place. One of my favourite Roman traditions is that of the Zampognari…
Dear Editor, The news that the Religious Sisters of Charity refuse to say whether or not they are acting in line with Church law in giving away Church property (IC 13/12/2018) is staggering. The sisters’ refusal to answer your utterly reasonable questions – refusal to say whether they have considered canon law or sought permission…
A well-known Belfast priest has been honoured for services to the community by Queen’s University Belfast. Fr Gary Donegan, who is best known for his community and peacebuilding work in North Belfast’s Ardoyne area, was awarded an honorary degree by the university last Thursday. The Passionist priest, who was born in Newtownbutler, Co. Fermanagh, and…
Be a voice for society’s unwanted Pope tells media Catholic media have a responsibility to be “spiritual antennas” that connect the world to the sufferings of the poor and the unwanted in society, especially prisoners on death row, Pope Francis has said. During an audience with journalists and collaborators of Telepace, an Italian Catholic television and radio station, the Pope encouraged them to…
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has performed a U-turn and will now file a complaint against religious sisters who have been accused of embezzling from a Catholic school at which they had worked for more than a decade. Sr Mary Margaret Kreuper CSJ and Sr Lana Chang CSJ, who both retired this year from St…
The consciences of medical staff will be abused with a seal of approval from the Oireachtas, writes Dr Noreen O’Carroll I was very struck by the phrase “the abuse of conscience” used by Pope Francis in his apology for the abuse perpetrated on minors by members of the clergy and hierarchy; he apologised not only…
There has been a broad welcome in the Diocese of Clogher for Pope Francis’ decision to appoint a local priest, Msgr Larry Duffy, as bishop of the border diocese. His predecessor, Bishop Emeritus Liam MacDaid, hailed the unusual decision – new bishops in Ireland have tended of late to be external rather than internal appointments…
Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit prayed for the country on December 7, even as the French government dropped all fuel tax increases for 2019. The government move came after French cities were hit with weeks of violent protests, as French people demanded lower fuel taxes and better purchasing power. Images of rampage at the Arc de…
Catholic tribal leaders in India are worried over a move by Jharkhand’s government to take away tribal status from people who have left their traditional Sarna religion to join other faiths. The eastern state’s move will deprive thousands of tribal people of social benefits meant for their advancement. “It is a deliberate attempt to divide tribal people…