A poll found two-thirds of Americans have a positive view of Pope Leo XIV’s calls for peace amid the Iran war and a majority of people hold a negative view of President Donald Trump’s criticisms of the Holy Father and threats to destroy Iranian civilisation. The Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll surveyed 2,560 American adults between…
21 days and 14 days’ military detention: this is the sentence imposed by the Israeli army on two soldiers for desecrating a statue of the Virgin Mary. The soldier who placed a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon must serve three weeks; his comrade, who photographed him…
Fr Gerardo Fortich Saco Jr, 60, was supposed to be the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Tagbilaran, in the central Philippines, after his ordination and installation on May 26. But at 6am on May 5, Fr Saco jolted the Diocese of Tagbilaran — and sent shockwaves nationwide — when he announced that he was…
Israel has begun construction of a bypass road in the West Bank. According to Transport Minister Miri Regev, the aim of the new transport link is to “bring a million residents to Judea and Samaria”, as reported by Haaretz on May 6. The biblical names of these regions refer to the land occupied in violation…
The Diocese of Kerry is in the midst of a two week training service for Parish Pastoral Councils on the decision-making method ‘Conversations in Spirit’, offered by the synodal and pastoral teams. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Diocesan Communications Officer David Sheehan said the training centres around “teaching a method of group conversations based on…
“There are those who say, we shouldn’t be using these machines to produce homilies. Well, have you listened to the average homily on a Sunday? They could do with a bit of improvement,” said Fr Brendan McGuire in conversation with The Irish Catholic, speaking about the positive ways to use AI in developing a homily.…
Parishioners and community members are paying respects online for beloved Galway priest Fr Martin McNamara, who died on May 1. Fr McNamara was ordained in 1962, and served in various parishes until settling as parish priest in Kiltullagh, Killimordaly and Clooncagh from 1986 to 2022. Killimordaly Hurling Club issued a statement on Facebook, where they…
Bishop Michael Duignan of Clonfert, Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora celebrated St Joseph’s Day at Clonfert College in Ballinasloe last week, where he congratulated recipient of the Founding Vision Award Phillip Costello. Clonfert College is the result of an amalgamation between two former Co. Galway secondary schools, Garbally College and Ardscoil Mhuire. The event marked the…
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least seven people and wounded others on Saturday while the Israeli military demolished parts of a Catholic convent in a border village, officials said. Israel’s military on Saturday issued a new warning for residents of nine southern villages to evacuate. Israel and Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group have kept…
Children “bear the brunt” of international religious freedom violations, panelists at an April 30 hearing of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said. Vicky Hartzler, chair of USCIRF, an independent, bipartisan US federal government commission that monitors religious freedom around the globe, said the group is “deeply concerned about countries where governments restrict religious…