The Irish bishops’ conference have shot down a proposal to set up regional arbitration panels to help priests when they face canonical or legal issues. The panels, proposed by the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP), would have facilitated “respectful dialogue” between priests, “competent experts in relevant disciplines” and bishops. In a letter sent to all…
Staff Reporter Archbishop-emeritus Patrick Coveney (88), who served as Papal Nuncio to Greece and New Zealand, has died, the diocese of Cork and Ross have announced. Perhaps Archbishop Coveney’s greatest claim to fame came when he acted as interpreter for Pope Paul VI during the visit to the Vatican of the first astronauts to land…
Hopes that new Jesuit Centre can be a hub of welcome and faith formation, Ruadhán Jones hears While most of the news about religious orders in Ireland of late has been about closure and retrenchment, the Jesuit’s in Belfast have launched a new venture with high hopes. The Jesuit Centre, which opened officially on Saturday,…
As soon as the lights dimmed for the start of the show in the tiny Vatican movie theatre, the crack of beer cans being opened joined the quieter crunch of popcorn. After all, when there is a private showing of The Greatest Beer Run Ever, starring Zac Efron and a green duffel bag full of…
New Government grants aimed at harvesting the sun may not be enough of a push for parishes, writes Chai Brady Rapidly increasing energy costs are on everyone’s mind in Europe as Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine continues to rage, driving up the price of gas. It’s somewhat of a perfect storm for consumers since fuel…
The oldest surviving codex containing the four canonical Gospels is open for all to see, Ruadhán Jones hears Given that Christianity is two millennia old, it is not surprising that documents from close to the time of its inception are hard to come by. How fortunate we are, then, to have ancient Biblical manuscripts dating…
New Catholic school for Belfast The North’s Education Minister Michelle McIlveen has officially opened the new £8.3 millionSaint Patrick’s Primary School in Belfast. The new school, which has 21 classrooms, was formed following the amalgamation of Edmund Rice Christian Brothers and Star of the Sea primary schools. Speaking at the opening ceremony the Minister said:…
One person dying every 36 seconds Wealthy countries like Ireland must not wait for famine to be declared to act on the food crisis in the Horn of Africa, the Church in Ireland’s aid agency has said. Trócaire’s call comes amid a warning that drought-ravaged countries in the region face a “devastating” human disaster. The…
The Government has confirmed that parishes who use a building for what is described as a ‘community service’ such as meals-on-wheels or an active retirement club can start to apply for funding to defray rising energy bills from next month. The Department of Rural and Community Development confirmed to The Irish Catholic this week that…
There is no legal reason the State can’t support religious groups this winter to cover extortionate heating costs, according to an expert on constitutional law. Prof. Gerry Whyte of Trinity College Dublin told The Irish Catholic that the State would face no obstacles in the Constitution if they were to support churches to warm their…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady