Mark Pattinson Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, said June 20 he will no longer exercise any public ministry “in obedience” to the Vatican after an allegation he abused a teenager 47 years ago was found credible. Bishop James F. Checchio of Metuchen, New Jersey, where Cardinal McCarrick served as its first…
WMOF organisers to unveil Papal event ticket plans
Matthew Carlson Anticipation is growing in Ireland ahead of the World Meeting of Families, with event organisers set to release details tomorrow of how pilgrims can attend WMOF2018 events led by Pope Francis on the last day of the festival. At a press conference tomorrow, WMOF2018 Secretary General Fr Timothy Bartlett, general manager Anne…
Reformation special issue scoops international Catholic press prize
The Irish Catholic has won four awards and received an honourable mention in this year’s Catholic Press Awards, the first time this newspaper has ever competed in the industry competition. The awards were announced at the Catholic Press Association (CPA) annual conference, held this year in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with The Irish Catholic receiving a…
Abortion because of defect is ‘like Nazi’s eugenics programme’
Pope Francis has denounced the practice of administering prenatal tests to determine birth defects that often lead to abortions, comparing it to the Nazi-era eugenics programme that determined what lives were worth keeping or eliminating. Children are God’s greatest gift and should be welcomed “as they come, as God sends them, as God allows, even…
World Cup full of Blessings
Matthew Carlson Mexico’s World Cup team experienced a miracle of sorts on Sunday with a stunning victory over Germany, some say because of one faithful grandmother. A girl named Paola of El Paso, Texas posted a video via Twitter of her grandmother blessing the Mexican team moments before the game started on Sunday. The video…
Police raid Chile Church offices in sex abuse investigation
Authorities have raided Church offices in Chile on in an effort to obtain documents relating to the recent sex abuse scandal which has sparked the resignation of more than 30 bishops in the country. During the surprise raid, police seized documents and files relating to the ongoing clergy abuse investigation from the Santiago Ecclesiastical Court…
Study Guide: The Joy of Love
Pope Francis will soon be in Dublin for the World Meeting of Families, and attention is focusing on his teachings and what his message will be to the Church in Ireland. We continue to publish study guides to the Pope’s landmark documents – this week The Joy of Love (Amoris Laetitia) by Prof. Eamonn Conway…
Indonesians activists call to support eco-friendly parties in elections
The environment has taken centre stage in Indonesia’s regional elections in South Kalimantan after it emerged that the vast majority of mining and palm oil businesses in the province flout environmental laws. According to the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry as many as 600 out of 700 businesses break the rules. They include contributing to air pollution, mismanagement…
KandLe Family Fun Day – a great day for families of all kinds
Julie Kavanagh A real highlight of the week gone by was Kildare and Leighlin’s celebration of family at the KandLe Family Fun Day, held on Saturday afternoon, June 16. The event was announced last year as part of the diocese’s preparation for the World Meeting of Families (WMOF), and was a follow-up to the very…
Imposing canonical penalties on immigration officials, is it possible?
Ed Condon The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops met last week in Florida for its annual spring session at which the bishops had serious discussion about a number of issues, among them immigration. On Wednesday, their discussion took an unexpected turn. Speaking on the topic of the Trump administration’s immigration and asylum policies and…