Dear Editor, While it is encouraging to read the front-page article [The Irish Catholic – August 4, 2022] and applause is certainly well deserved, it was truly heartening to see an effort to voice support for our bishops and priests who really are “bombarded with the notion that everything needs to change”. But, can it be…
Desire for eternal youth is ‘delusional,’ Pope says The passing of time in one’s life is meant to be lived as a God-given grace and not a meaningless pursuit to preserve one’s youthfulness, Pope Francis said. Men and women are “apprentices of life” who amid trials and tribulations “learn to appreciate God’s gift, honouring the…
Shannon Campbell The View People think that when a university breaks for summer, work stops and staff enjoy an (excessively) long holiday. Perhaps for some, but the vast majority of academics and support staff are on campus, reviewing the year that has past, and preparing for a new intake of students in autumn. The same…
Staff reporter The new structure for the diocese of Cork and Ross, with priests appointed to ‘families of parishes’, have been announced. The diocese will have 16 families of parishes each ministered by a team of priests. In the first phase, which will take place September 10, 12 families of parishes will be established, Bishop…
A Nicaraguan human rights organisation released a video August 4 showing police in riot gear outside the diocesan offices of one the country’s bishops, preventing him from leaving to celebrate Mass at the cathedral. Because the incident took place on a Thursday and Catholics were likely expecting him to show up for exposition and adoration…
The Australian Parliament is considering legislation that would allow the country’s two territories to pass their own laws, paving the way for legalising euthanasia. On August 2, the House of Representatives passed the Restoring Territory Rights Bill 2022, which removes the risk of the federal government overriding the territories’ laws. The bill must still be…
Knock novena returns to traditional format The annual Knock national novena returns to its original format next week for the first time since 2019. The theme for this year is ‘A Journey in Hope’, with the novena running from Sunday August 14 to Monday August 22. More than 8,000 pilgrims are expected to attend each…
A temptation to believe that we presume too much on God’s mercy dogs the spiritual progress of many Christians, writes Thomas Flowers SJ St Peter Faber (1506-1546) came to see his battle with scruples as an occasion for the mercy of God. As a young man, guilt overwhelmed him. He worried not only over every…
Catholic bishops in Ethiopia warned that insecurity is shutting down churches and forcing more priests and nuns to flee, as consequences of the war in the northern province of Tigray are felt across the entire country. The bishops reiterated that the insecurity also had made it difficult for the Church to effectively carry out its…
Staff reporter Fr Patrick Devine SMA hopes to tackle violence against women in Nairobi, Kenya, through a new Empowerment Centre. The centre will offer women and children the tools and supports to be “significant architects of their security”, according to a press release from the Shalom Centre. The new Empowerment Centre, part of the Shalom…