The Government’s six-month Covid-19 plan, announced on Tuesday, proposes bans on all religious services except funerals and weddings for level three warnings upward. The country is currently at a level two warning, the maximum being five, which means religious services can take place with up to 50 people attending. The plan recognises the need to…

Premiums refund because of closures EXCLUSIVE Hard-pressed parishes feeling the effects of financial pressure due to Covid-19 restrictions will receive rebates on their insurance premiums, The Irish Catholic can reveal. Priests have welcomed the decision by the main insurer of Church property that parishes will receive refunds due to lockdown and the fact that many…

Ahead of the upcoming Budget, the Irish Hospice Foundation has renewed calls for a whole-of-government strategy for end-of-life and bereavement care. The charity – dedicated to death, dying and bereavement, is urging the Government in a pre-Budget submission to invest in healthcare infrastructure and adequately support end-of-life and bereavement services to ensure the country can…

Ireland’s new European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness has been a prominent supporter of Church-state dialogue in the EU and an outspoken defender of the rights of Christians in parts of the world where they face persecution. Ms McGuinness – who has often spoken about her Catholic Faith – maintained a long silence on the issue of…

Dutch artist Bas Uterwijk’s depiction of Jesus has gone viral on Twitter, with users struck by the relatability and warmth of the visage. Commenting on the image, Dr Paul Caffrey of the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) in Dublin explained different aspects of the picture and its development. “The portrait is produced in…

After his own bike was stolen, Belfast-based Fr Martin Magill has taken the opportunity to ask the public to donate their unwanted bikes to immigrants and refugees. Initially taking to Twitter, Fr Magill was of a mind to get his bike back, posting: “Wee favour please – my red bike was stolen from Wellington Place…

The bishop of Clogher has called on people to take action to save biodiversity, as after the pandemic “we cannot be healthy if the planet is not healthy”. In a pastoral letter for the Season of Creation, Bishop Larry Duffy said Covid-19 has shown how “deeply connected everything is”, and “how vulnerable we are as…

Monasteries around the country have been receiving increased calls from people experiencing despair about the meaning of life since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Sr Fiachra of St Mary’s Abbey, Co. Waterford, told of calls from “lots of people”, with those living in “apartments in cities” heavily represented.…

Bishop of Limerick Brendan Leahy has urged Catholics to take encouragement from the spirit of volunteerism that has been on display in parishes and communities throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking as he announced the annual clerical changes for the diocese, Bishop Leahy said that the combined issues of the vocations crisis and ageing priests is…

Trócaire has announced the decision to permanently close its Cathedral Street office in Dublin city centre from the end of September. The charitable agency of the Church recently reviewed the sustainability of the office, coming to the conclusion that it is no longer viable. They have been in operation on the site since 1983. Trócaire CEO…