An assurance from the Department of Health that pro-life marches won’t be affected by new exclusion zone legislation has been dubbed “incredibly vague”. Following a query from The Irish Catholic regarding so-called ‘safe-access zones’ around abortion providers, the department said in a statement: “There is no intention to criminalise bona fide protest marches which incidentally…
Ben Dunne did “the Christian thing” and forgave his captors, according to the son of the iconic and controversial Irish businessman whose funeral took place on Tuesday, November 28. The former managing director of Dunnes Stores was also remembered by chief celebrant Fr Damian O’Reilly as a “generous and caring” man who “cherished” the Christian…
Bishop Michael Router paid tribute to a priest whose “presence spoke volumes” and “left an impression” on those who knew him at the funeral of Armagh priest, Fr Brian White. Fr White, 46, died on Wednesday November 8 at his home in Tullysaran, Co. Armagh. His funeral took place Sunday November 12 at the Church of…
Award-winning actor Antonio Banderas (63), who has enjoyed an illustrious 41-year career, said that playing the evil King Herod in the nativity musical Journey to Bethlehem not only allowed him to explore a notoriously dark biblical figure but reminded him of the heartbeat of Christianity: love. Based on his experience with Journey to Bethlehem, the actor said he’s…
Despite frequent calls for a return of Christian imagery and symbolism to Irish politics, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s recent use of scriptural allusion to welcome the release of Irish-Israeli Emily Hand, 9, from Gaza has gone over poorly at home and abroad. In a post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) that has been seen over 46…
The Archdiocese of Dublin hosted its ‘Parishes Caring For Creation’ conference over the weekend to discuss how parishes can better react to the challenges associated with climate change. Conference organisers said: “In the midst of environmental crisis, how can parish communities care more deeply for God’s creation? Join us for a day to equip yourself…
Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ and parishioners active in ministries and apostolates from all over the Raphoe diocese gathered to discuss a vision for liturgy in the diocese on November 12. This group was drawn from choir directors, organists, cantors, musicians, singers and ministers of the Word and the Eucharist, from parishes all across Donegal. The…
Catholic couples invited to work in-Tandem Tandem Teams, a programme for recently married or engaged couples devised by Teams of Our Lady, will begin its latest round of meetings on Saturday, December 9 at 3.30pm. The programme is structured around 13 monthly meetings and aims to “offer an occasion to dialogue in-depth with your partner/spouse…
The catholic Archbishop of Freiburg , Stephan Burger, has said he is opposed to church funeral services for pets. “I am clearly in favour of an ethically responsible treatment of animals and am concerned about animal welfare. But we should not humanise animals. A catholic mourning rite specifically for pets is unthinkable for me,” he told…
Dominican friars in Dublin say they are praying for all involved after a stabbing incident at a nearby Catholic school in the bustling city centre of the capital. Eyewitness described a scene of terror after three children and their teacher, a woman in her 30s, were stabbed near the school on Thursday afternoon. The attack occurred…
Chai Brady
Ruadhán Jones
Michael Kelly