Churches should be treated like any other institution when it comes to covid grants, said Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill. Deputy Cahill told The Irish Catholic that Churches loss of income and expenses accrued as a result of lockdown should be taken into account. “Like many other institutions, Churches’ sources of income have been greatly restricted,” said…

Free speech specialist and lawyer Ivan Hare has attacked proposals which could “suppress expression which is at the heart of political debate” in the North. The proposals are set out in a recent review of the region’s ‘hate crime’ laws, spearheaded by Judge Desmond Marrinan. Mr Hare wrote in an article for The Christian Institute that proposals…

Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin Denis Nulty has announced a range of fresh diocesan appointments Fr Ruairí Ó’Domhnaill Adm. cathedral to become PP Newbridge in succession to Fr Paul Dempsey, Bishop-elect of Achonry. Fr Liam Morgan PP Naas, Sallins, Two Mile House to become VF north deanery, retaining responsibility for parish renewal and development. Fr…

Citizens’ Assembly is merely ‘a means to shape public opinion’ and cut constitutional thread Senator Ronan Mullen has called for the Church to engage families in light of Government plans that could “kick the Church out of education”. He said that the aim of the new Government to hold a Citizens’ Assembly on education is…

Bishop Donal McKeown has said it is unclear if parishes can actually baptise children and criticised the “lack of clarity” from the Northern Ireland Executive. Bishop McKeown said that many parents have been “crying out” to have their child baptised, which had been explicitly banned under lockdown. Highlighting the confusion around the changing rules, Bishop…

A well-known parish priest and author has said that it is a “scandal” for churches to remain closed for public Mass in the wake of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. “I think it’s an absolute scandal, I think it’s just selfish. I can’t warrant it, as our Christian leadership, they’re erring on the side of…

Dublin’s Parish Pastoral Workers (PPWs) are among the 82 lay staff asked by Dublin Diocese to consider a voluntary redundancy package which has been described by some PPWs this paper spoke to as ‘generous’. However, the main concern of PPWs appears to be what does the future hold for those who don’t take the redundancy…

Tributes have streamed in from the faithful around the world for Oscar winning Italian composer Ennio Morricone. Most famous to many Catholics for his score for the film The Mission, he died aged 91. Morricone died in a Rome hospital on Monday, July 6 after he was admitted days earlier with a fractured femur. Morricone’s…

Archbishop Michael Neary has praised the hard work of all involved in restarting public Masses and “warmly welcomed” the new detailed guidance from the Government regarding Masses. Following the news that Masses could resume, Archbishop Neary said that “teams of volunteers have been trained, churches have been prepared and marked out according to social distancing…

Hundreds of pro-life advocates took to the street over the weekend both North and south to call for the protection of life in both jurisdictions. The Rally for Life took place over the weekend, with protestors in the North calling for the repeal of Section 9 of new legislation that allowed abortion to be legalised.…