The Irish Church’s safeguarding advisory body has rowed back on previous advice that priests should not inform State authorities about incidents of child sex abuse disclosed during Confession, instead pointing out that canon and civil law differ on this issue. The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church had advised in their 2016…
Two bishops have pushed for a more lay-led Church during separate homilies over the weekend. A priest’s work is to “channel” the gifts of lay people, and is not a lone enterprise, said Bishop Noel Treanor during Fr Tony McAleese’s ordination. “Priestly work and ministry is not a solo run: the passage from the letter…
Ireland’s Catholic bishops are crowdsourcing for input on a new council that aims to respond to the “very challenging reality” of legalised abortion in Ireland. A ‘Council of Life’ will be established by March 2019 in response to the result of the abortion referendum – it was decided in a general meeting of the bishops.…
A leading charity has criticised the absence of convictions after laws criminalising sex buyers meant to “erode Ireland’s sex trade” were implemented 15 months ago. This comes after Ruhama revealed they’ve assisted over 300 people affected by prostitution and sex trafficking in their 2017 Annual Report this week. Sarah Benson, the CEO of Ruhama, has…
Almost 3,000 young people attended the annual ‘Fan the Flame’ Mass on June 7. The event is for all children who received the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Diocese of Derry during the past year and was celebrated in Celtic Park GAA Ground. The Mass also marks the end of their primary education, an important…
It’s an inevitable fact that much of the religious patrimony of Ireland built up over centuries will disappear in coming years as religious orders sell off property to fund retirement care for elderly members. There is upset amongst some returned Spiritan missionaries in Dublin this week after they were told that their nursing home will…
The European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland (EAPN) is calling for the Irish Government to show its full and immediate support for the inclusion of socio-economic status as an additional ground for discrimination under current Irish equality legislation. The ground will ensure that those who have experienced discrimination and exclusion based on their housing status, address, income…
Matthew Carlson A limited-edition box set commemorating the life and work of football club Celtic FC’s founder Marist Brother Walfrid has been produced. The box set, which was created by Scottish print finisher ACA, is limited to 1,888 which symbolises the year that Celtic FC played its first match. It includes an A3-sized depiction of…
People of all age groups are susceptible to loneliness, and initiatives must be implemented to alleviate this problem in Ireland, a social justice organisation has said. The Loneliness Task Force, which was established in collaboration with the CEO of ALONE, Sean Moynihan, to coordinate a response to the epidemic of loneliness and social isolation, said…
Matthew Carlson A prominent pro-life group has applauded the actions of Offaly TD Carol Nolan after she retired from Sinn Féin because the group voted to deny its members the right to vote with their conscience on abortion without receiving discipline. At Sinn Fein’s Ard Fheis in Belfast last weekend, the party voted to…
Greg Daly
Chai Brady