People should write to Pope Francis to encourage him to visit the tomb of Matt Talbot when he comes to Dublin next year, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has said. Speaking in Maynooth at a conference on priestly formation, Archbishop Martin spoke of how priests come from the “holy people of God”, a term the Pope regularly…
Sinn Féin’s new party line on abortion does not reflect the views of ordinary voters, the Sinn Féin MP for Mid-Ulster has said. Francie Molloy, who succeeded Martin McGuinness as MP for the area in 2013, said the policy adopted at the party’s Ard Fheis was both “progressive and hysterical”, and cautioned against the triumphalism…
Integrity was central to a major international formation conference at the national seminary, writes Greg Daly. If there were recurring themes in last week’s international priestly formation conference in Maynooth they were ones of integrity and integration. Opening comments from Armagh’s Archbishop Eamon Martin on identity and closing ones from Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin…
The man credited with playing a major role in an upsurge in candidates for the priesthood in Britain has said those involved in vocations promotion need to understand that many young committed Catholics now consider a vocation after a conversion experience. Addressing a major conference on priestly formation in Maynooth at the weekend, Fr Christopher…
Notebook July 2009 saw the commissioning of HMS Daring, a Type 45 destroyer and the most technologically advanced ship the Royal Navy had ever deployed. Capable of travelling nearly twice as far and almost half as efficient again as the ship it was replacing, it had stealth technology and a huge radar which could…
Ireland’s most-senior Churchman has said that governments should consider withholding foreign aid from countries where freedom of religion is not upheld. Archbishop Eamon Martin was speaking at a ceremony outside St Patrick’s Cathedral in his Armagh Archdiocese where the cathedral was illuminated in red to highlight the persecution faced by Christians in many parts of…
Farewell Mass on course for Phoenix Park Greg Daly and Chai Brady Pope Francis’ farewell Mass to the Irish people next August is very likely to be held in the Phoenix Park The Irish Catholic understands. Discussions have been taking place between World Meeting of Families (WMOF18) organisers with State authorities and planners hope…
There are set to be sharp divisions when members of the hierarchy discuss a plan that could see Irish Catholics absolved from the requirement to attend Mass on two traditional major feastdays, The Irish Catholic understands. The Irish bishops’ conference is currently considering a proposal that would reduce the importance of both All Saints’ Day…
At times one wonders about the loudest voices on the Catholic internet – the old adage about empty cans making the most noise can seem alarmingly apt. Andrea Tornielli surely has a point on lastampa.it when he observes: “Too many are causing unceasing confusion in their self-referential media circles and then say that today in…
The Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) has welcomed plans for a meeting between representatives of the ACP and the Irish Episcopal Conference (IEC). The meeting, proposed for Monday, January 15, follows a request from Fr Brendan Hoban for such a meeting ahead of next August’s proposed visit by Pope Francis to the World Meeting of…