Blackrock college abuse survivor David Ryan had a private audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican last Monday. Speaking to RTÉ after the meeting Mr Ryan described the Pope’s empathy for his experience as “genuine”, and said “he was so sorry to hear of my pain…and for the other survivors who haven’t come forward…
Exclusive Ireland has lost the equivalent of 300 primary school classrooms in a single year due to abortion, according to the Bishop of Achonry and Elphin, Dr Kevin Doran, who has warned that the consequences are now being felt in school closures and declining enrolments across the country. Citing official figures showing that 10,852 babies were aborted…
Former President Mary McAleese has told Catholic school girls that parts of the Church’s teaching is “rancid” and warned that Pope Leo XIV is no reformer — but merely a “stopgap” Pope. Speaking in a podcast interview with pupils from St. Dominic’s Grammar School in Belfast [McAleese’s old school] which was released to mark Catholic Schools Week,…
As Catholic Schools Week is marked this week across the country, The Irish Catholic has learnt that the Irish Bishops’ Conference is establishing a commission to examine how the Catholic Church might assist the process of school divestment in Ireland. The move comes after more than a decade of discussion about the future patronage of…
As Catholic Schools Week is marked across the country, news that the Bishops’ Conference is establishing a commission to examine how the Church might aid the process of school divestment will be welcomed by many. It suggests a long-overdue action to engage seriously with a reality that has been discussed, debated, and deferred for more…
The new CEO of Trócaire Seán Farrell along with Bishop Paul Dempsey of the Dublin Archdiocese and Dr Gary Carville, Social Issues & International Affairs at Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference will visit Israel and Palestine this weekend as the Irish delegation attending the Holy Land Coordination meetings. The 2026 Holy Land Coordination will take place…
The Education Nation podcast launches on Monday, January 18 when the first episode drops to coincide with Catholic Schools week. We have lined up a host of fascinating guests who have intriguing stories to tell about their own career journeys and their role within the education system. As we hear their stories, we hope that…
The Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin, has said that “the days of the Catholic Church seeking to kind of dominate debate they’re over,” while insisting that churches and faith groups still have an important role to play in public life and in supporting the State on major policy issues. Speaking with this paper, Archbishop Martin…
The Bishop of Meath Dr Tom Deenihan has made a robust defence of Catholic education, praising those who work in the sector and rejecting those who argue Catholic schools are places of indoctrination. “A Catholic school, if it were to be biased at all, would share the bias of Christ; the weak, the poor, the…
The Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin, has said preparations for a diocesan congress have revealed a level of interest among young people that has been both encouraging and uplifting, challenging assumptions about disengagement from faith and church life. Speaking about the process of organising the Armagh diocesan congress, Archbishop Martin said deliberate efforts were made…