Although the idea of a papal visit to Ukraine was in the air even before the February Russian invasion, it wasn’t until this week that several figures in the know began speaking of a “realistic” possibility that Pope Francis may travel to Kyiv before the summer ends. In an interview, Pope Francis said that the…
Eugenio Scalfari, a highly acclaimed journalist who helped found Italy’s Radical Party and its most widely-read leftist newspaper, who also made waves throughout the Catholic world for his eyebrow-raising and often questionable conversations with Pope Francis, has died aged 98. Mr Scalfari is widely regarded as one of the most acclaimed Italian journalists of the…
Staff reporter Catholic third level institute Carlow College has been offered to the State with “no strings attached”, An Taoiseach Micheál Martin said in the Dáil. Mr Martin, responding to questions from TDs about the Church’s involvement in education, said the “issue of the role of the Church within education” has “evolved significantly”. He cited…
A cardinal who leads India’s Syro-Malabar Church has been cleared by his state government of charges of wrongdoing related to real estate deals estimated to have resulted in losses of around $10 million. The financial controversy led to protests from some of his own clergy and laity, and his temporary loss of administrative authority by…
Staff reporter The chapel in the Poor Clares’ convent in Galway has been reopened to the public after “badly needed” repairs to nearby buildings. The roof of some of the convent buildings was “badly in need of repair with rain coming through the ceilings of the top floor bedrooms”, the order said in a statement.…
Free mental health services ‘vital’ with rising cost of living Turn2Me, a national mental health charity, has stated that free mental health services are absolutely vital, now more than ever, with the rising costs of living. The charity stated an increased number of users reported feeling anxious about the rising cost of living, and that…
US bishops issue abuse compliance audit The US bishops’ annual report on compliance with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People shows that 2,930 victim survivors came forward with 3,103 allegations during the audit year of July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. The number of allegations is 1,149 less than that…
Despite the popular appeal of Pope Francis, the vast majority of Irish Catholics ignored the synodal consultation process, writes Fr Andrew McMahon Appreciation is due to this newspaper for its recent Synodal Times, outlining the contents of the various diocesan synodal syntheses. From figures contained within the summaries, the participation/response rate per diocese appears to…
Fr Niall Coll The Synodal Pathway: When Rhetoric Meets Reality, edited by Eamon Conway, Eugene Duffy and Mary McDaid (Columba Books, €16.99/£14.99) St John Henry Newman famously observed that “there has seldom been a Council without great confusion after it”. The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) was no exception. Hence the often fractious discourse between traditionalists and…
In yet another wide-ranging interview, Pope Francis said that he doesn’t plan to step down anytime soon, though he prays for the strength to do so when the time is right. If the day comes when he does resign, the pontiff said he would prefer to be considered the “bishop emeritus of Rome rather than…