The Archbishop of Cashel and Emly has said he was alarmed by the “inflammatory language” members of the Travelling community and those on welfare were subjected to during the presidential campaign. In a statement, Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly said that feedback he received from members of the Travelling community and those dependent on financial assistance from…
The parish system in Ireland has been a vital source of comfort and support in combating loneliness, well-known actor Brendan O’Carroll has said. The Irish star, best recognised for portraying Agnes Brown in the television sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys, said that Mass historically curbed loneliness as it was a “central place” where people could go…
The 2016 game Pokémon Go has been downloaded worldwide 800 million times, but a new Catholic version of the game is hoping to persuade potential players to put down the Poké Balls and pick up the prayers. ‘Follow JC Go!’ is a Christian take on the mobile game, but instead of catching Japanese monsters, players…
Creating family-friendly church services will encourage new mothers to attend Mass, a Limerick-based priest has said. Fr Seamus Enright, Rector of the Redemptorist Fathers at Mount St Alphonsus Church, said that reassuring women that breastfeeding is acceptable at Mass will make mothers feel comfortable in going and bringing their children. “I suppose we’ve always operated…
Asia Bibi, the Catholic woman condemned to death under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws in 2010, has had her conviction overturned by the Supreme Court in Pakistan. She was told by the judge she was free to go immediately. The court, in a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, released the verdict this morning in Islamabad,…
The diaconate in Ireland could help encourage vocations to the priesthood, a newly-ordained deacon has said. Prominent lawyer Brett Lockhart QC, who with eight other men was ordained a deacon earlier this month in Belfast’s St Peter’s Cathedral told The Irish Catholic that as the diaconate flourishes in Ireland, there will be a “better environment…
EXCLUSIVE The government is relying on charities to help the most vulnerable citizens in the North because the social welfare system can’t cope, The Irish Catholic can reveal. Government offices are increasingly referring hard-pressed welfare recipients who are struggling to the Society of St Vincent de Paul to meet a shortfall caused by welfare reform.…
While the Christian message has traditionally been spread at Mass and passed on from generation to generation, one priest has decided to open up new evangelical frontiers. Dublin-based priest Fr Justin Gillespie is making leaps and bounds in proclaiming the Faith to young adults both in Ireland and across international waters through the power of…
There should be a “wide and generous” acknowledgement of the freedom of conscience by the Government for healthcare professionals, a group of medical practitioners and lawyers have said. The comments come after an educational conference hosted by the Medico Legal Alliance on October 13, entitled The Legal Aspects of Clinical Decision Making, which brought together…
Most Irish people believe Pope Francis did not do enough to address clerical abuse during his recent papal visit to Ireland, according to new research. Only 30% of people believe the Pope did enough on the issue during the visit, according to a survey of 840 people by Queen’s University in Belfast, which also found…