Archbishop Eamon Martin has criticised a lack of ambition in the Government’s Housing for All plan in a written response to Minister Darragh O’Brien’s request that the Church identify property it owns to use in tackling the housing crisis. While welcoming the plan, Archbishop Martin wrote that “sadly”, Ireland’s current national crisis in housing has…
Only 24% of new recruits to the PSNI (Police Service Northern Ireland) have come from a Catholic background according to the latest statistics. Catholic officers The figures demonstrate ongoing problems hiring Catholic officers. Of the 193 officers recruited in 2020, only 46 were Catholic while 144 (75%) were protestant. The PSNI has stated a commitment…
The State Claims Agency received reports on 94 incidents related to adverse effects of Ireland’s abortion legislation since it came into effect in 2019
Chai Brady and Brandon Scott Catholic schools should focus on celebrating the saints “instead of the demons” during Halloween parties according to a Rome-based professor of theology. Fr Richard O’Connor, a priest of the Diocese of Kerry who teaches in the Pontifical Angelicum University, told The Irish Catholic that he believed that dressing up as devils, witches…
Priests around the country expressed relief as limits on capacity at churches were lifted last Friday, October 22. However, some priests added that people are still “wary and cautious” as cases continue to remain high. “Life is good again,” said Fr Tom Walsh of Gurranabraher, Co. Cork, adding that “we’re doing what we’re supposed to…
One of Ireland’s leading psychiatrists has warned that interventions by Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, risk triviliasing the experiences of people who are mentally-ill. Prof. Patricia Casey told The Irish Catholic that she was worried that the couple’s high-profile role and comments about mental health risk making people think that…
Irish faith-based NGO Viatores Christi (VC) recently launched an online training platform, UPSKILLS, for missionaries, development and humanitarian aid workers. Upskills is a suite of “affordable, easily accessible and practical online training courses” aimed at helping such workers in their missions. “The online platform of self-conducted courses has been developed in response to a growing…
Fr Shay Cullen was praised for his work tackling sexual crimes against children by Fianna Fáil TD Cormac Devlin as he relaunched the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2018. Speaking in the Dáil October 19, Mr Devlin acknowledged Fr Cullen’s “distinguished record of working with women and children in the Philippines to protect them from sex…
Archbishop Eamon Martin has said that the Churches could have done more to aid peace and reconciliation in Ireland. Speaking at a service of reflection and hope in Armagh this morning (Thursday), Archbishop Martin referred to the centenary of partition saying: “When I look back on what happened on this island in 1921, like many…
Young Catholic immigrants coming from countries where there is more active lay participation in parishes have a vital role in shaping a renewed Church here, missionaries have said. Sr Kathleen McGarvey of the Missionary Sisters of our Lady of Apostles told The Irish Catholic that she is confident that Catholics from abroad who are making…
Chai Brady
Ruadhán Jones
Michael Kelly