An Australian commission examining cases of clerical child sex abuse has been urged to discount oral testimony from Cardinal George Pell, who is linked to the case of abuser priest Fr Peter Searson in the 1980s. In a submission to the Royal Commission, lawyers Gail Furness and Stephen Free insist that the claim of then…

Irish Columban Fr Shay Cullen has used the occasion of his receiving the Hugh O’Flaherty Humanitarian Award to call on Ireland to lead by example on human rights.   Addressing the audience at the awards ceremony in Killarney, Co. Kerry last weekend, Fr Cullen said Ireland’s commitment to resettle 4,000 refugees fleeing conflict is “an…

A woman holds up a cross as people pray along the US-Mexico border fence in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, while taking part in a Mass in support of migrants who died trying to cross illegally into the US. The border Mass was sponsored by dioceses of El Paso, Texas, Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Ciudad Juarez.…

Pope hosts unique Mass for prisoners Pope Francis celebrated a special Mass for prisoners in the presence of 1,000 inmates on November 6. Organissed as part of the Vatican’s Year of Mercy celebrations, the Mass at St Peter’s Basilica brought prisoners together from 12 countries along with their families as well as prison chaplains. Addressing…

Staff Reporter A founding member of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) has described a letter from the hierarchy to the organisation as a “sugar-coated push off”. Redemptorist Fr Tony Flannery also expressed the view that future meetings between the ACP and the Irish bishops’ conference would be a waste of time. He was responding…

Last week, for a mere 60 hours – fleeting when set against the last 1,500 years  – the tomb of the crucified Jesus lay fully open for the first time within the sanctified confines of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.   With the power to move Christians everywhere, more locally the site’s…

Just three members of the Irish hierarchy remain active members of Vatican departments, following the news that Tuam’s Archbishop Michael Neary is one of almost 20 prelates leaving the Vatican’s department of the liturgy. The Vatican announced on October 28 that 27 new members had been appointed to the Congregation for Divine Worship and the…