While news of a small decrease in national homeless figures must be welcomed, the challenge is to work for more substantive decreases, homelessness campaigners have said. New figures from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government indicate that 9,681 people of people accessed State-funded emergency homeless accommodation in March, down slightly on 9,807 in…
Fr Andrew McMahon Considerable consternation was caused in recent days when graffiti appeared on the outside of two northern Catholic churches around 30 miles apart. St Patrick’s Cathedral in Armagh was defaced overnight on Sunday, April 22, while in the Co. Tyrone village of Carrickmore, St Colmcille’s Church was daubed with paint sometime the…
After meeting Pope Francis three survivors of clergy sexual abuse from Chile said they felt they had been heard, and were hopeful for changes in how the Church handles accusations of abuse. “I spoke for more than two and a half hours alone with Pope Francis. He listened to me with great respect, affection and…
Health Minister Simon Harris has been accused of indulging in a campaign of misinformation in relation to the forthcoming abortion referendum. Pro-life campaigners have also challenged Mr Harris to a debate on his proposed legislation that would permit abortion in some circumstances up to six months. Campaign group Save the 8th said at a press…
The apparent forced resignation of the Catholic chaplain who tends to the spiritual needs of the US House of Representatives has drawn criticism against the Speaker of the House. Earlier in April, news trickled out that Fr Patrick Conroy[pictured] was set to retire in May, but various news outlets in late April began reporting that…
A leading pro-life group, LoveBoth, has distanced itself from a number of posters improperly displaying its campaign branding, which contain wording and slogans claiming that ‘women can’t be trusted’. The posters were not part of the LoveBoth campaign, nor was the use of the organisation’s logo or name authorised. Reacting to the posters, LoveBoth spokesperson…
Calling for continued collaboration between the leaders of North and South Korea, Pope Francis said he is praying that their courageous commitment may achieve “a path of sincere dialogue for a Korean Peninsula that is free of nuclear weapons”. Speaking after the Regina Coeli prayer in St Peter’s Square, the Pope hailed the positive outcome of Friday’s Inter-Korean Summit and said he…
Inés San Martín Condemning repeated killings of innocent Nigerians by ethnic militias in the country’s north-eastern region, Nigeria’s Catholic bishops have said that the government should “encourage and empower” citizens to protect themselves, and also called President Muhammadu Buhari to resign over failures to deter violence. “This is not the time to disarm people with…
Religion vs. Science: What Religious People Really Think by Elaine Howard Ecklund and Christopher P. Scheitle (Oxford University Press, £19.99) Christopher Moriarty Scientists are subversive. Good scientists are supposed to question everything within their sphere. Institutional religion on the other hand demands obedience to the authoritative word and forbids questioning. The title of this book, by…
“Although I oppose abortion I think I’ll vote to repeal the Eighth Amendment. I’ll never choose abortion but I won’t stand in the way of others choosing it.” This is quite a common position being taken concerning the forthcoming referendum, even among Catholics and other Christians. Those holding this position sense that abortion is wrong but,…