A TD has criticised Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly for “dodging” a question about risks associated with public religious services as “very hurtful” to her constituents who have been vocal about the issue. Sinn Féin’s Sorca Clarke of Longford-Westmeath constituency submitted a question to Minister Stephen Donnelly about risk assessments related to the restrictions on…
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney did not address the issue of Christian persecution during his meeting with Iran’s president despite serious concerns about religious freedom for the minority group in the country. Minister Coveney met with President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Tehran, Iran over the weekend. The Department of Foreign Affairs…
Irish people should write to their TDs and push for Ireland to stand with the Uyghur Muslim minority in China who may be facing “the worst single abuse of human rights in the world right now”, according to the bishop of the Diocese of Raphoe. Bishop Alan McGuckian told The Irish Catholic that as more…
Welcome plans to scrap the ‘undignified’ direct provision system will be challenging, writes Chai Brady Many priests and religious have been doing their best to help integrate asylum seekers into communities as well as support them through advocacy, particularly by calling for an end to the direct provision system, but with a housing crisis and…
Fr Peter Whelan’s compelling story of war-time ministry in the US is worth remembering, writes Chai Brady It takes a brave man to remain a prisoner of war in order to continue ministering to defeated soldiers despite being offered freedom, but that, among many other selfless things, was what Fr Peter Whelan did during the…
The possibility of having level 5 restrictions last until May “is not great” according to Bishop Kevin Doran of Elphin who also criticised how ministers “leaked” the information. Bishop Doran took to social media last week to voice his displeasure, saying: “Level 5 until May is not great. What is worse is the way it…
A Dublin parish which was allowing people to come to their church after online Mass to receive Holy Communion has been told to stop by gardaí. Traffic collision Fr Binoy Mathew SVD of Mountview/Blakestown parish told The Irish Catholic that after a traffic collision on February 14 at the gates of the church drew attention to the…
Children’s Corner Ireland has been using the euro currency for almost 20 years so it’s no wonder that some of our coins have become so dirty they’re almost unrecognisable from their former shiny splendour. If you have lost hope in them, never fear, there’s a fun way of giving them a good polish without the…
Trócaire has warned that one-third of its annual donations have been put at risk after Covid-19 restrictions severely curtailed the distribution of Trócaire boxes this Lent. The Church-charity’s Lenten Appeal began on Ash Wednesday but the closure of schools and public Mass restrictions due to the pandemic have meant Trócaire boxes won’t reach many homes this year.…
Tensions in relation to the so-called Northern Ireland protocol must be handled with “wise leadership” from politicians with a view to making it work, a Belfast priest has warned. Fr Martin Magill PP told The Irish Catholic that although the vast majority of his West Belfast parishioners and himself would have been against Brexit there’s…