The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) has called on the Government to commit to benchmarking social welfare rates against the cost of living. Welcoming this week’s budget, the group said that welfare increases still fall further behind the cost of living. Some of the main points of the budget are: – A €5 increase to all…
Access to pornography should be addressed at primary school level according to a High Court judge after sentencing a teenager for the rape of his niece on Monday. It was discovered he had been acting out pornographic scenes he had been watching since he was nine years old. He was given a five-year suspended sentence.…
Ireland’s Budget 2022 was hailed as “a step in the right direction” by some Irish charities, but others criticised it as being a “missed opportunity”.
The bishops of Ireland plan to undertake a pilgrimage to the International Eucharistic and Marian Shrine in Knock to concelebrate Mass for all those who have died in Ireland throughout the pandemic, and their families. The bishops will also offer prayers of thanksgiving “for all those who so selflessly sacrificed so much” during the pandemic.…
‘I wouldn’t want any other parent to feel the way I did’ A well-known lay missionary who was dramatically hospitalised with Covid-19 has appealed for Catholics to set aside divisions over vaccines and stand with the Pope. Speaking from his hospital bed, Tony Foy, Executive Director of NET Ministries Ireland admitted that looking into his…
Many people who seek to change Church teaching are “upper class and highly educated” and Ireland’s national synod must focus on bringing them back to the Church rather than “watering down” the Gospel, according to an Irish priest in Australia. Australia entered into its ‘Plenary Council’ process on Sunday – a process similar to a…
Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis’ “unprecedented” power to impose abortion “must be scrapped”, a pro-life organisation has said. Bernadette Smyth of Precious Life made her comments as a legal challenge to Mr Lewis’ powers was launched in the North’s high court this week by the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC). The case…
Cooley parish celebrated Madge Boyle’s 100th birthday by unveiling a park bench across the road from the house she was born in. Fr Malachy Conlon PP Cooley parish, Co. Louth, described Ms Boyle as “a precious light in our community”. Born September 12, 1921, Ms Boyle and her late husband Mike had nine children, 25…
Plans that would remove Newry Cathedral’s parking have annoyed parishioners, with a recent survey showing 72% oppose the move. Fr Francis Brown, the Co. Down cathedral’s administrator, warned that the plans to build a civic centre in the cathedral’s parking area would be “disastrous”. “It means there would be no parking next to the cathedral,…
Pro-life politicians have decried the launch of a bill that would introduce so-called ‘safe access zones’ outside hospitals and clinics providing abortion, arguing that it’s the attempted “criminalisation of peaceful pro-life speech and protest”. Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper, Laois-Offaly TD Carol Nolan said the bill is “nothing short of an ideological wrecking ball”.…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady