Social justice campaigner Sr Stanislaus Kennedy has said it is “incredibly distressing” to learn of an increase in racist incidents across Ireland this year. The Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) has just released figures on racist incident reporting on hate speech, hate crime and discriminatory acts in the first quarter of 2020. Their statistics for…
Independent NUI Senator Rónan Mullen has accused the national broadcaster of editorialising around ethics. A report on RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland on Tuesday referred to controversial academic Peter Singer as a “world-renowned ethicist”. Reacting on social media, Senator Mullen described this as “editorialising”. “Some of his views (e.g. on people with disability) are controversial…
While many priests and religious are in the frontline comforting and consoling those suffering from coronavirus and their loved ones, an Irish Dominican friar who is a trained doctor is back treating patients with Covid-19. Bro. Chris Gault OP, who has been studying for the priesthood with the Dominicans, has returned to his native Belfast…
Cavan-based Fr Martin Gilcreest has said that housebound parishioners are delighted that he can still make the traditional First Friday contact using the telephone. “This is a generation that Faith is very important to. It’s their foundation, it’s the one thing that keeps them grounded. “The fact that we’re making an effort at all is,…
Bishop Brendan Leahy [pictured] has said the pandemic has become a time for great personal reflection in his address after midday Mass on Sunday at St John’s Cathedral. He said one thing we have learned is that time is valuable and that we often complain of it disappearing in our modern world. “Suddenly, with the…
An international school-feeding charity is planning to provide meals to more than one million children at home as part of the Covid-19 response. Despite school closures due to the pandemic, Mary’s Meals will continue to deliver food to children in Malawi and Zambia by inviting their parents to collect rations to cook at home. Patricia…
Pope Francis has encouraged young men to have the courage to embark on a vocation to the priesthood if they feel that God is calling them to ministry. Speaking during his traditional Eastertide Regina Caeli message from the Vatican this afternoon, pope Francis also called for more international cooperation to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.…
Two separate polls show that Americans are relying more on their faith to help persevere through the coronavirus pandemic. The Pew Research Centre, in a survey released April 30, showed that nearly one-fourth of all Americans say their faith has grown stronger during the pandemic, while only 2% said it had grown weaker. Catholics, according…
A top Polish historian has questioned claims by German researchers that newly opened Vatican archives contain information damning the role played by Pope Pius XII during World War II. “This team has the advantage of having been to these archives, and we must face the truth calmly if some major new discovery is made,” said…
Continuing restrictions need to be provided for Chai Brady, Róise McGagh and Aron Hegarty Bishop Donal McKeown has said that Church leaders must come up with a plan to show health authorities that social distancing can work in parishes when restrictions start to ease. As authorities on both sides of the border prepare to reconsider…
Michael Kelly