Cardinal Donald Wuerl Keynote Speaker – The Welfare of the Family is Decisive for the Future of the World The 77-year-old Archbishop of Washington, who was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI, has long been a leading figure in the Church’s ‘new evangelisation’ project, giving lectures and publishing books on the subject for some years before the then Pope appointed him relator, or…
The World Meeting of Families 2018 has announced that a symposium dedicated to the global impact of women’s leadership will be held on Saturday, August 25 as part of its international gathering of families from August 21-26. ‘Voices of Impact: Women Leaders Shaping Global Change’, will be chaired by Irish broadcaster and entrepreneur Norah Casey…
Former Archbishop Philip Wilson will serve a maximum 12-month sentence in home detention for concealing child sexual abuse, an Australian court has ruled. This decision means Wilson (67) will avoid jail. He resigned as archbishop of Adelaide after his conviction and has become the world’s most senior cleric to be convicted of the crime. His…
The Argentine senate has voted against a bill that would have decriminalised abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Senators voted 38-31 against the measure last week following a 15-hour debate. The measure had been approved in June by the lower house of Congress. The Argentine bishops’ conference hailed the vote, saying the debate…
Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig (Canongate, £12.99 ) Peter Hegarty The author of Reasons to Stay Alive describes himself as having once been a ‘terrified young man ‘who was ‘suicidally ill’. His struggles with depression and anxiety inform his writing and journalism: ‘The fact that I have had mental illness, though a nightmare in reality, has…
WMOF 2018: Programme Knock Shrine has released a detailed programme for the visit of Pope Francis to the site of the Marian apparition as part of the World Meeting of Families celebrations. To make the most of this special occasion, Knock are encouraging everyone to arrive early for a ‘Gathering Event’ and to stay…
Church agency Caritas has launched a project that aims to end hunger across South Asia by 2030. Caritas India introduced the programme in collaboration with its international partners to help farmers adapt methods to cope with erratic climate conditions. “Climate change is a global challenge and affects agricultural production and human well-being. It hits hardest…
WMOF 2018 A new series of digital animations and a six-part television series has been launched as part of ongoing preparations for the World Meeting of Families 2018 and the visit of Pope Francis. Both of these new resources focus on Amoris Laetitia, the document written by Pope Francis on love in the family. Amoris Animations The Amoris Animations, the first created…
Dear Editor, Breda O’Brien and Greg Daly’s articles on Pope Francis’ ruling that henceforth Catholics should regard the death penalty as ‘inadmissible’ (IC 9/8/2018) show just how natural a development this is in Catholic teaching, and show too how absurd it is that a handful of vociferous Catholics are complaining about this. Absurd? What other…
Pat O’Kelly Enthusiastic reviews greeted Co. Tipperary soprano Jennifer Davis following her recent Covent Garden debut as Elsa of Brabant in Wagner’s Lohengrin. Latvian diva Kristine Opolais was the scheduled Elsa in this new production that opened in June, but she withdrew from the staging relatively close to opening night. Jennifer Davis, who is…