Using the Pope’s encyclical on the environment to inform prayer and liturgy is “a proposal that the bishops can take up”, particularly as the language appeals to young people, the Bishop of Down and Connor has said. Speaking to The Irish Catholic during a conference on Laudato Si’, hosted by the Society of African Missionaries…
Archbishop ‘humbled’ over papal appointment Archbishop Eamon Martin has said he is “humbled” that Pope Francis has appointed him as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Dromore, which took immediate effect on April 15. “I am humbled by Pope Francis’ request and grateful for his confidence in me. It will be an honour for me to serve the people,…
The commission investigating the historic treatment of unmarried mothers and their children in religious-run care homes has dismissed claims that an underground burial plot was in fact a sewage tank. When news of the common grave on the grounds of the former State-regulated home run by the Sisters of Bon Secours in Tuam, Co. Galway,…
As the flames engulfed the historic cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris last night, firefighters fought to make a passage for one special mission of mercy – the rescue of the Blessed Sacrament and relics from the historic church. It has emerged that the priest who administered the last rites to the victims of the Bataclan…
Many relics saved as fire devastates cathedral France has vowed that the spire of Notre-Dame cathedral will rise again after fire ripped through the iconic symbol of Europe’s Christian identity. Firefighters have been praised for entering the burning building to save some of the most important relics in Christendom including the crown of thorns…
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has banned an Irish-born Legionaries of Christ priest from publicly exercising his priestly ministry for 10 years after he was convicted in Chile of sexually abusing a young girl. Fr John O’Reilly was convicted in Chile in 2014 and sentenced to four years of ‘supervised liberty.’ When…
While Catholic marriage ceremonies are still the most popular in Ireland there has been dramatic decline, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The figures also reveal Irish grooms are now the oldest on record. The CSO data for last year shows that on average men are now aged 36.4 when they tie the knot.…
18-year-olds leave care with nowhere to go Chai Brady and Hannah Harn A group that supports vulnerable teenagers has accused Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone of ignoring the plight of young people who fall into homelessness after leaving State care. Neil Forsyth of the Irish Aftercare Network told The Irish Catholic that he believes Ms Zappone is “blinkered” on…
President Michael D. Higgins has led tributes to Trócaire aid worker Sally O’Neill who died following a road accident in Guatemala. Mrs O’Neill, a native of Co. Tyrone, worked for the Church’s overseas aid agency for some 37 years in developing countries. Reacting to the news of her death along with three colleagues, Archbishop Eamon…
A call from Sinn Féin for a State takeover of Catholic schools would trample on the rights of parents, theologian Dr John Murray has warned. Speaking in the Seanad last week, the party’s education spokesman Paul Gavan said “we must work towards ending the patronage system completely”. It is the patronage system that underpins the…
Chai Brady
Colm Fitzpatrick