Ireland’s new ambassador to the Vatican is already working in Rome and will formally present his credentials to Pope Francis next month. Ambassador-Designate Derek Hannon succeeds Emma Madigan as Irish Ambassador to the Holy See. Ms Madigan, who was appointed to the role in 2014, is widely acknowledged as having played a key role in…
A Catholic university professor’s tweets that white Republican men should die a “miserable death” for supporting Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination for the Supreme Court are more than just about free speech, the head of Students for Life of America has warned. “Recommending violence, death and mutilation for members of Congress is not a simple ‘free…
The leader of North Korea wants Pope Francis to visit his country and believes he would be welcomed “enthusiastically”, according to South Korean officials. Kim Jung Un is said to have expressed his desire for the Pontiff to make the trip to Pyongyang during his latest summit with South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in last month.…
Fr Bernard Healy There is a chapel known as ‘Domine Quo Vadis’ on the Via Appia, the old road that leads southwards out of Rome and there is an unusual tale dating back to the 2nd Century about the site that it’s built on. It is said that during a time of persecution St…
Garden of Ghosts and Ghouls October is the month of frights, spooks and scares, and so there’s no better way to spend this time than by experiencing an ominous Hallowe’en tour. Wexford’s Wells House and Gardens is welcoming the return of the acclaimed ‘Dare to Scare’ Hallowe’en tour, taking place in its beautiful old country…
Cardinal: damage of abuse scandal caused by Church leadership, not media The days of making “weak excuses” in response to the sexual abuse crisis are over, German Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising has warned. The fallout and damage that has resulted, he added, “has not been caused by the press doing their job…
Dear Editor, Can I congratulate you on the clear-eyed way The Irish Catholic has analysed the papal visit and World Meeting of Families in recent weeks? Pieces asking searching questions about the Pope’s speeches, his apparent ignorance of the reality of modern Ireland and most recently the low turnout in Phoenix Park for the closing…
Pat O’Kelly Two recent Dublin events marked significant occasions. The first brought the Irish première of James MacMillan’s Stabat Mater as the closing concert of New Music Dublin at the National Concert Hall. The second came with the retirement, after 42 years devoted service, of Prof. Gerard Gillen as organiste titulaire of the Pro-Cathedral.…
Pro-life activists have described as “obscene” the setting aside of €12 million in the Government’s budget for the initial roll out of abortion in Ireland. The Government made clear yesterday that the €12 million contained in the budget is not the total cost envisaged for abortions but just an initial roll out cost, campaigners have…
BREAKING NEWS The UK’s highest court has ruled that a Northern Ireland bakery’s refusal to make a cake with a message supporting same-sex marriage was not discriminatory. The Supreme Court found today that the Christian owners of Ashers bakery did not discriminate against a customer and did not refuse to bake the cake because…