A close confidant of the Pope has revealed how he felt touched by the ability of the Pontiff to reach across the sectarian divide in the North. Austen Ivereigh, who has co-authored a book with Francis as well as being acknowledged as one of the Argentine Pope’s most authoritative biographers, said his recent experience in Belfast…
The Society of the Divine Word (SVD) welcomed Saturday new Frs Clement Kwabena Narcher, Joseph Mensah and Liwei Huang, with Archbishop Farrell exhorting the men to go forward “so that the Gospel may reach the ends of the earth”. Speaking at the ordination in Mountview parish, Archbishop Farrell said the new Fathers have been “availing of…
A Supreme Court ruling dismissing an appeal by the Minister for Education against two homeschooled students excluded from the Leaving Cert calculated grades scheme has been welcomed by home-schooling parents. Wicklow-based Jaclyn Ascough, who has spent more than 20 years homeschooling her seven children – three of which she still teaches – said the ruling…
Staff reporter Aid to the Church in Need’s recent call for prayer for Myanmar was in recognition of the “extraordinarily dangerous” situation the Faithful find themselves in there, Director of ACN Ireland, Michael Kinsella told The Irish Catholic. The pontifical foundation invited Catholics on January 27 to observe a day of prayer on February 1 the…
Pope Francis’ leadership has been key to improving diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Holy See, an expert in Vatican diplomacy claims. Victor Gaetan told The Irish Catholic that, according to sources in Rome, it was “the Irish Government’s willingness to work with Pope Francis that inspired it to re-open its embassy in 2014”. Mr Gaetan, author…
Staff reporter The North’s Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) this week announced the timeframe for a phased release of data from the census held across the region last year. The agency said that the first results on raw population statistics will be published by June, with further Census 2021 results published in stages until summer 2023. The…
The popular author and publisher Colm Keane has died after a cancer diagnosis. Over recent decades he created some 29 books, many of which were highly successful. He touched an enormous number of people through the books he and his wife Una O’Hagan, published through the small publishing firm they founded and ran themselves. In…
Staff reporter Primate of All-Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin has used the 50th anniversary of the unlawful killing of 14 unarmed Catholics by the British army to criticise the fact that no one has ever been prosecuted. “Very painfully, the Bloody Sunday families were denied for too long the truth about what happened to their loved…
Senator Rónán Mullen has suggested that the abortion review chair appointee should “honourably withdraw”. This comes in light of the appointee, Ms Marie O’Shea’s, past social media activity which shows a preference for the repeal of the 8th Amendment, and the legalisation of abortion in the State. Examples included “retweeting a post in favour of…
There is a “grace-filled art in forgiving and remembering” the bishop of the Diocese of Derry has said on the 50th anniversary Mass of Remembrance for the victims of Bloody Sunday today. In his homily, Bishop Donal McKeown said it takes “a wise heart to look at the rubble of what has been shattered in…
Chai Brady
Ruadhán Jones
Peter Costello