The Pope opens his Vatican II series with Dei Verbum, the Dogmatic Constitution on divine revelation Dear brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome! We have started the cycle of catechesis on Vatican Council II. Today we will begin to look more closely at the Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum, on the divine Revelation. It is…
Pope Leo XIV launches Vatican II series and global prayer initiative
Following his first extraordinary consistory, Pope Leo XIV has outlined a programme of engagements aimed at drawing Catholics more deeply into both the intellectual and prayerful life of the Church, renewing attention to the Second Vatican Council while inviting the faithful to pray with him for the world’s pressing needs. Speaking at his general audience…
Scottish bishops denounce ‘buffer zone’ law
Scottish Catholic bishops have criticised legislation establishing so-called “buffer zones” around abortion facilities, warning it represents a serious erosion of civil and religious freedoms. In a recent statement, the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland said the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act 2024 “restricts free speech, free expression, and freedom of religion in ways that should…
Names of streets and parks are the least of Dublin’s worries
Names of streets and parks are the least of Dublin’s worries Dear Editor, on a recent trip to Dublin, I was mulling over the obsession some politicians nowadays have over changing the names of roads and parks, which, according to them, do not reflect the Irish Republic. We discuss changing the names of roads, etc.,…
Letters
Clarification regarding Allianz correspondence Dear Editor, I am writing in response to the letter from Fr Joe McVeigh of Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, published in your 27th November edition, in which a number of factual inaccuracies regarding Allianz were stated. Allianz P.l.c is not an Israeli-owned insurance company. Allianz p.l.c is an Irish-incorporated and Irish-regulated entity,…
Gaining a healthy sense of sin in advent
Remember the song lyrics: “What the world needs now is love, sweet love!” It’s hard to disagree with such a sentiment, especially at the present time when nations and people are at war with each other. Love is a beautiful thing, and we could use more of it. However, the world is in need of…
Have your say on Government’s online school patronage survey to give parents a choice
The Department of Education and Youth has just launched a survey to get the views of parents and guardians about the type of primary schools they want for the future. The survey, which is all online, is for parents and guardians of children currently in primary school or who will enter primary school in the…
Single parents in poverty should be classified as ‘vulnerable customers’ – SVP
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SVP) has said that the government needs to do more to tackle fuel poverty among vulnerable groups such as single parents. With annual household energy bills set to rise by €321 according to a recent report, SVP said that households at risk of poverty – particularly those with…
Irish bishops support call on Government to back fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty
The Bishops of Ireland have expressed their collective support for the joint Trócaire and Laudato Si’ Working Group (LSWG) campaign for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. On behalf of LSWG, Bishop Martin Hayes said, “Emissions[1] due to the use of fossil fuels have been identified as the main driver of the climate crisis[2]. Despite…
Irish bishops launch multimedia platform, ‘TheWay’
Adapting to the increasing demand for digital news services, the Irish Bishops’ Conference has introduced a multimedia platform designed to share “not only the Good News but our whole lives as well” (1 Thess 2:8). Titled TheWay, the platform acts as an online network where the audience can browse through written, visual, and audial content…











