Synod aims to renew 
Church for Catholic youth

To strengthen and support young people in the Faith, members of the Synod of Bishops will need to listen to their real-life stories, interpret what they hear in the light of the Gospel and make decisions that will lead to an authentic renewal of the Catholic Church, said Brazilian Cardinal Sergio da Rocha. “Often we…

Government is ‘railroading’ abortion legislation

A prominent pro-life group has accused the Government of “railroading” abortion legislation which will leave no opportunity to make “life-saving amendments” to the bill. The Pro-Life Campaign (PLC) said Minister Simon Harris is “shutting down debate” on the forthcoming abortion legislation which is due to be introduced to the Dáil this week. Despite expectations, the…

Pray to protect Church from devil says Pope

Signalling his belief that the Church faces a serious crisis, Pope Francis asked every Catholic in the world to pray for the protection of the Church from attacks by the devil, and also for the Church to to be stronger in combatting abuse. Pope Francis asked Catholics to pray the rosary each day in October,…

Youth motivated to ‘heal’ Church facing scandal storm

Michael W. Higgins   One could be forgiven for thinking that it has never been as bad as this—Church authority assailed from within and from without, the episcopate in so many jurisdictions discredited, the papacy under siege from schismatic factions, the non-Catholic world appalled by a level of corruption the magnitude of which seems incomprehensible,…

India legalises adultery after Supreme Court ruling

Catholics will continue to regard sex outside marriage as a sin despite India’s Supreme Court ruling that adultery will no longer be a crime, Church leaders say. The country’s top court has struck down a 158-year-old British-era law which said it was a crime, punishable with a five-year jail term, for a man to have…

Hospital waiting list is unbelievable says nun

An Irish nun has said the number of patients who were treated without hospital beds last month is “unbelievable” and the Government should figure out a solution. Sr Pat Donovan, a member of the Catholic Healthcare Council of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, speaking in a personal capacity said that it’s “unbelievable in this day…

Vatican Roundup

Be 
open 
to 
the 
good, 
regardless
 of 
origin 
–
 Pope Pope Francis has advised people to be open to the good, regardless of whether it comes from someone outside their own “circle”. The Pope reflected, during his Angelus address in St Peter’s Square, September 30, on the day’s Gospel, in which Christ taught his disciples humility and to avoid scandal. When the disciples objected…

Safeguarding the nation 
from itself

Soldiering Against Subversion: The Irish Defence Forces and internal security during the Troubles, 1969-1998 by Dan Harvey (Merrion Press, €19.99) Joe 
Carroll   The role of the Defence Forces (the army, naval service, and air corps) in ensuring that the Troubles in Northern Ireland did not spill over into the Republic and undermine the stability of the…

Momentum 
builds 
for 
coastal 
rosary

Tens of thousands of people are expected to pray the Rosary at hundreds of locations around Ireland this weekend. Organisers of the Rosary on the Coast hope between 30,000 and 50,000 people will participate in gatherings on Sunday, October 7, at over 300 locations throughout the country, mostly on the coast but also in churches,…