Strengthening the peace process in the North was among the topics discussed when Pope Francis received President Michael D. Higgins today (Friday) at the Vatican. President Higgins met the Pontiff before meeting Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was accompanied by Vatican Foreign Minister Archbishop Paul Gallagher. A Vatican statement said that during…
Pope Francis has not devalued the Torah and does not question the fact that the Torah is crucial for modern Judaism, Cardinal Kurt Koch told two prominent Jewish leaders. “Pope Francis fully respects the foundations of Judaism and always seeks to deepen the bonds of friendship between the two faith traditions,” wrote the cardinal, who…
Tyrone’s All-Ireland victory over Mayo has been received in a spirit of humility, with Tyrone star Conor Meyler saying the team are “so grateful” for all of the prayers and support received from their county-men and women. “As a team, we’re so grateful and feel blessed with the huge support and prayers that we have…
Drug-related crime and addiction is “as bad as he’s seen it” since he started drug-related pastoral work in the mid-90s, Bishop Michael Router told this paper. Bishop Router has been calling for greater focus in the funding and resourcing of family support networks amid growing drug-related crime and anti-social behaviour in the island’s north-east. Speaking…
Ireland has some of the best dark sky reserves around and the longer nights beckon us out to appreciate them, writes Jason Osborne Always having had a fascination with space and all things celestial, I’ve been strangely looking forward to the encroaching darkness of autumn and winter this year, and the possibilities it presents for…
Letter from Poland Sunday saw the beatification of two blesseds with very different, but equally holy, missions in the Church in Poland. Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, declared the ‘Iron primate’, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski and Mother Elzbieta Róza Czacka blessed at Mass and a service September 12, at…
Dr Philip Gonzales says the receipt of a prestigious grant will see St Patrick’s College, Maynooth shape the future of Christian philosophy, writes Jason Osborne Christianity identified the discipline of philosophy early on as a potential ally in its efforts to show the intelligibility of Christ’s message to the world. Many of the Church Fathers…
Personal Profile Sister Jean Quinn DW is surely doing for others as Christ did for us, her life’s work being that of uplifting people from homelessness, focusing on the spiritual as much as the material. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Sr Jean says that she comes from as deeply Catholic a background as they come:…
A spate of activity on the female religious front has been warmly welcomed by sisters across Ireland, with new sister, Elizabeth, for the Knock Carmelites, a new postulant, Bindhu, for the Drumcondra Redemptoristines, and profession formation taking place with the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master in Ireland (PDDM). Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper,…
Ahead of this weekend’s All-Ireland showdown with Mayo, the Catholic college where many members of the Tyrone team attended has wished them well in the match St Mary’s University College in Belfast boasts 11 former students among the players in the team, and one on the support team. The principal said the entire college community…