Pope Francis called on ambassadors to the Holy See to safeguard the rights of the unborn to “combat the throwaway culture”. The address to the diplomatic corp took place on Monday, January 9 and was attended by Ireland’s Ambassador to the Holy See, as well ambassadors across Europe and the US, where debates around abortion…
After more than two months in detention in Eritrea, Bishop Fikremariam Hagos Tsalim and Fr Mehereteab Stefanos have been released, several sources have reported. The 52-year-old bishop heads the Eritrean Catholic Eparchy of Segheneity. Fr Stefanos, before his imprisonment, was a parish priest at St Michael’s Parish in the same eparchy. It is still unknown…
The innovative work of the late prior will ensure a bright future for St Patrick’s Purgatory, writes Mary McDaid It was with a very deep sense of sadness and loss that the death of Msgr Richard Mohan on Sunday January 1, 2023 was learned of by the staff and pilgrims of Lough Derg, by the…
It is embarrassing to see human rights groups defend safe zones at abortion centres, writes Dr Leonard Taylor Draft legislation titled the Safe Access to Termination of Pregnancy Services Bill (2021) is currently before Dáil Eireann, and the response of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) is of concern. The Bill intends to…
Former president Donald Trump took to social media to blame Republican losses in the November midterm elections on candidates who opposed abortion for any reason. His comments drew criticism from many pro-life advocates. On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump posted: “It wasn’t my fault that the Republicans didn’t live up to expectations in…
Lindsey Weishar In the past few years, the term visio divina has gained traction in the Catholic lexicon. Like lectio divina, which is a way to pray with Scripture, visio divina translates to “divine seeing” and is a way to pray with art or other visual media alongside Scripture. I first encountered visio divina in…
The United States’ Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially changed its policy, January 3, to allow pharmacies to sell mifepristone, the drug known commonly as the abortion pill. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organisation decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion pills and chemical abortion have become an…
Elise Ann Allen As Pope Benedict XVI was laid to rest Thursday in the Vatican, Christian and interfaith leaders across the world conveyed their appreciation of his theological contributions and efforts to build bridges. In a statement of condolence, the acting Secretary General of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Jerry Pillay, said the…
Warning of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ in Nagorno-Karabakh A leading politician serving the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) has strongly echoed Pope Francis’ concerns about the humanitarian situation in the fragile region located within Azerbaijan’s borders. In an interview with CNA, Ruben Vardanyan, State Minister of Artsakh, said that the international community must act in order to prevent…
LetterfromUSA Kate Scanlon After a report dubbed 2022 “the year of the botched execution,” Catholic activists renewed their calls for an end to capital punishment in the US at both the state and federal levels. Despite declining public support for the practice, and a campaign promise from President Joe Biden, a Catholic and a…