Pope Francis and Pope emeritus Benedict XVI have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, the Vatican confirmed today. Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, said: “I can confirm that as part of the Vatican City State vaccination program to date, the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine has been administered…
Cardinal Pell to the Irish youth: ‘Step up to the plate’
Australian Cardinal George Pell has exhorted the Irish youth to lead the Church, lest it continue to sink. The cardinal, exonerated following a lengthy trial and imprisonment in his native country, addressed the young people of Ireland during an interview with EWTN’s Colm Flynn. Asked what he would say to them, he said: “I’d say…
Schwarzenegger asks for ‘servant’s heart’ from politicians
Arnold Schwarzenegger referred US elected representatives to Catholic teaching in a video released on his Twitter page last weekend. The actor and former Governor of California referenced his Catholic upbringing in a video posted in the wake of and in response to the events in the US Capitol last weekend, which saw the Capitol building…
Faith groups in Ireland fare poorly in leadership poll
Faith groups ranked poorly after the public were polled regarding the sector demonstrating the best leadership in Ireland. Leadership LIFT Ireland – an initiative to develop the level of leadership nationwide – polled 1,000 members of the public on their attitudes towards leadership standards and asked them to rank the sectors and professions they believed…
Keeping warm through winter
Wrapping up properly is the key to wrapping up warmly, writes Jason Osborne It may seem like a moot point but keeping warm is absolutely vital in the depths of winter. Working in an outdoors shop for a couple of months upon finishing college, I remember being told about the particular difficulties both Ireland and…
Church leadership has to change to be seen
An ailing Church needs to be bold if it’s to return to leadership, hears Jason Osborne The Church in Ireland has been ailing for some time, and the results of the 2021 LIFT index ought to provide the Faithful with food for thought. LIFT Ireland – an initiative to develop the level of leadership nationwide…
Corrie star proud to be pro-life
Coronation Street star Kerri Quinn has expressed her pride at having the opportunity to represent the pro-life community in an upcoming BBC drama The Awakening. The drama is set to deal with the relaxation of abortion laws in Northern Ireland, with the Belfast actress playing a pro-life activist. A cause close to her heart, Ms…
RTÉ’s God sketch failed to comply with broadcaster’s standards
RTÉ’s New Year’s Eve sketch, which depicted God being arrested for sexual assault, did not comply with the broadcaster’s own standards and regulations, RTÉ said today. In a statement, the national broadcaster said its Editorial Standards Board found that the sketch was not in line with a number of their provisions. These included Section 39…
A woman after Our Lady’s heart
Attempting to follow in Our Lady’s footsteps, Sarah Deegan places the utmost emphasis on our common foundation as children of God, whether it’s in her work as a secondary school teacher or in her work with the Legion of Mary. Her faith is wrapped up in the Legion, with her parents being strong proponents of…
‘Hope’ of vaccine muddled by messy rollout
Fr Paddy Byrne has hailed the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine as “hope” yet has offered criticism of the delays in getting the vaccine to the Irish people. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, the Abbeyleix priest said he believes getting the vaccine to the population “must be more than a 9-5 job”, and said he…