Parishes asked to increase awareness of trafficking Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster has told a top level summit of police chiefs, Irish bishops and justice personnel that the crime of human trafficking is getting worse. The Senior Leadership Summit on collectively combatting human trafficking was held in UCC, Cork from June 26 to 27. This…
Our duty to minister with dignity
On June 11, the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland implemented a new policy titled ‘A Safe and Welcoming Church – Safeguarding Children Policy and Standards for the Catholic Church in Ireland’. Mr Aidan Gordon, who has been the CEO of the National Board since April 2024, shared the priorities,…
The number of abortions in Ireland increased 250%
The HSE 2023 annual report, ‘Notifications in accordance with Section 20 of the health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018,’ reveals that 10,033 abortions were performed in Ireland last year. Pro Life Campaign spokesperson, Eilís Mulroy, commented on the figures, stating, “We have now reached a point that for every six babies born in…
Cardinals approve canonisation of Carlo Acutis
Blessed Carlo Acutis will be proclaimed a Saint during the 2025 Jubilee, possibly along with other canonisations. Pope Francis and the Consistory of Cardinals have voted to approve the canonisation of the first Saint from Generation Y, those born between 1981 and 1996 commonly known as millennials, on July 1. This event happens after Pope…
Bishop outlines vision for youth so ‘whole Church will flourish’
Bishop Fintan Gavin of Cork and Ross has said that the bishops are trying to create “a vision, and to work together so that the whole Church flourishes.” “The whole Irish Church needs to grow – not just young adults. We need a rigorous intellectual formation that challenges us and provides formation in Catholic tradition which is…
Europe’s most extreme ‘hate speech’ bill
The Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022 passed through the Dáil and is currently before Seanad Éireann, third stage, since June 21, 2024.
The Church needs to guard against complacency
The Catholic Church in Ireland has introduced a new safeguarding policy ‘A Safe and Welcoming Church, Safeguarding Children Policy and Standards for the Catholic Church in Ireland, 2024’. The policy was released on June 11, 2024 Mr Aidan Gordon, who took over as CEO of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church…
A promising future for youth ministry in Ireland
The success of the first ‘Intentional Young Adult Ministry’ gathering, that took place on June 22 in Co. Kildare, shows a promising future for youth ministry in Ireland, as young adults continue to inspire and support one another in their faith journeys. This initiative, hosted by the Irish Episcopal Conference (IEC), reflects a hopeful and…
Keeping alive the missionary spirit in Ireland
This coming July 4, two Irish teachers, Orla Walshe and Anne Nagle, will be flying to Rwanda to facilitate two summer camps for disadvantaged children (one in the city and one in the countryside). They will be teaching English, arts and providing other assistance and support. The programmes also include computer literacy, sports, prayer, music,…
A third of homeless are children
The lay organisation, ‘Homeless run’ told this paper that “in recent years, the number of homeless people has been increasing. There are now more than 10000 people, more than a third of them are children.” This number is supported by ‘The Dublin Region Homeless Executive’s most recent report (April 2024), which states that “more than…