Trócaire have called on the Irish Government to use their influence to ensure no poor country is at risk of a “debt crisis” due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This comes as Pope Francis and Caritas Internationalis called for debt relief to poor countries reeling from war, poverty and the coronavirus pandemic last week. Trócaire is…
Homelessness charity Focus Ireland have welcomed the Government’s extension of the current protections for renters until August 1, adding there is a “pressing need” to continue the supports. Government ministers have expressed hopes they will have new legislation in place which will enable the measures to continue. Focus Ireland Policy Coordinator Rosemary Hennigan said the…
Children’s Corner Tornados are one of the world’s scariest natural phenomenon but they are also hugely interesting and much can be learnt by observing them from a scientific perspective. Fortunately in Ireland these powerful vortexes don’t develop on the scale they do in other countries. To make a tornado, you need just the right mix…
Citizens’ Assembly is merely ‘a means to shape public opinion’ and cut constitutional thread Senator Ronan Mullen has called for the Church to engage families in light of Government plans that could “kick the Church out of education”. He said that the aim of the new Government to hold a Citizens’ Assembly on education is…
A well-known parish priest and author has said that it is a “scandal” for churches to remain closed for public Mass in the wake of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. “I think it’s an absolute scandal, I think it’s just selfish. I can’t warrant it, as our Christian leadership, they’re erring on the side of…
Hundreds of pro-life advocates took to the street over the weekend both North and south to call for the protection of life in both jurisdictions. The Rally for Life took place over the weekend, with protestors in the North calling for the repeal of Section 9 of new legislation that allowed abortion to be legalised.…
The bishop of Derry diocese, Donal McKeown, was among more than 30 people recognised in this year’s Lambeth Awards which were announced this week by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The awards acknowledge “outstanding contributions to the Church and wider society”. In total, 32 awards were announced to people from fields including evangelism, the religious life, safeguarding, ecumenism, theology…
Staff and inmates at Hydebank Wood College and Women’s Prison have given food and raised £500 for a soup kitchen in Belfast. NI prison chaplain Fr Stephen McBrearty said St Patrick’s Church on Donegall Street, where the soup kitchen is located, was a site that some of the young male offenders and female prisoners would…
During the height of the pandemic the majority of Irish Catholics have welcomed and engaged with online Church services, feel their faith has been strengthened and believe now there is a “great chance” to re-think the Church’s future, according to new research. The study was conducted by the Mater Dei Centre for Catholic Education at…
The Head of Religious Programming in RTÉ has hailed a new initiative which saw Mass broadcast live on the station for the first time without an outside broadcast crew. For the first time last Tuesday and again on Sunday, iCatholic.ie delivered “high-quality”, live Mass to RTÉ, which has traditionally been done by media production company…