Campaigning priest Msgr Raymond Murray has welcomed as “another step towards truth and justice” the revelations made by the BBC’s Panorama programme around a secret British army unit in Northern Ireland responsible for the deaths of innocent civilians. Dealing with the activities of the Military Reaction Force (MRF), Panorama interviewed seven former members who revealed…

The island state of Hawaii has become the latest to legislate for same-sex marriage following a 30-19 vote in congress and a 19-4 vote in the senate. Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu has criticised the move as “disappointing”, stating: “It is very sad that many of our state legislators and our governor have confused a…

Germany – Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has instructed the Archdiocese of Freiburg to withdraw a policy under which it signalled its willingness to offer Communion to divorced and remarried Catholics. The Communion move was undertaken by diocesan officials shortly after the departure of Archbishop Robert…

For the first time since his March election, Pope Francis travelled to the Quirinale Palace in Rome to meet with Italyís President Giorgio Napolitano on November 14. Following a private meeting, the two leaders addressed a press conference at which it was revealed that the Pontiff had addressed the need for greater efforts in the…

A US-based Jewish magazine, Forward, has named Pope Francis in a top 50 list of influential personalities for 2013. Along with its annual offering of the most influential Jewish Americans of the year, Forward name-checks the Pontiff for note due to his positive relations with the Jewish community. After eight months as head of the…

Pope Francis has donated €111,000 to aid the victims of super-typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The monies will be made available through Cor Unum for the immediate needs of residents, in particular of Leyte and Samar islands, which suffered the full force of the typhoon which brought 315kph winds as it made landfall on November…

"What we have to avoid absolutely is that religions engender fear, attitudes of exclusion or of superiority in people." This was the message delivered on November 18 by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue at an historic meeting in Vienna, Austria. That day saw the inaugural meeting of the King…

Archbishop Pietro Parolin, the Vaticanís new Secretary of State, has assumed his post after a period of recuperation from illness. Archbishop Parolin was installed as Secretary of State in absentia on October 15 when an unexpected surgical procedure forced him to remain in hospital. Following his release, the archbishop took time in the city of…

“You are not alone and will never be alone.” Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila, addressing survivors of super-typhoon Haiyan as he announced a Day of Lament and Hope for the Philippines November 16.   “A mass exodus is taking place, on a biblical scale. In some places, there is a real danger that Christianity…

Praise for Irish support to the Philippines