Parents shouldn’t be relying on loan-sharks to curb the “crazy” costs of Communion celebrations, a spokesperson for a well-known family support centre has said. Valerie O’Carroll, manager of Ballymun Child and Family Resource Centre in Dublin, said it’s “absolutely crazy” the amount of money being spent on Communion celebrations, noting that the Sacrament has transformed…
An investigation into alleged serious sectarian activity in a Belfast hospital “harks back to the past” and “can’t be tolerated” a Fermanagh-based priest has said. This comes as a covert probe into sectarianism instigated by NHS bosses relating to events in Belfast City Hospital has come to light. It was launched after allegations of harassment…
Raphoe’s Bishop Alan McGuckian has expressed sorrow on behalf of the diocese for the abuse of children by the late Eugene Greene. The onetime priest of the diocese, whose death in Cork last November was announced yesterday, pleaded guilty in 1999 to 40 counts of sexual assaults of children between 1965 and 1982. Sentenced to…
A leading homeless charity has opened its newest social housing development partly funded by people donating their Irish Water refunds to charity. The social housing opened yesterday (February 28) in Ravenswood, Fingal, Co. Dublin. The scheme is the charity’s first green-field development and consists of eight one-bedroom homes with a small community building. It’s designed…
€8m a year spent helping grieving relatives Rising funeral costs are forcing some families to face the heartache of choosing to bury relatives long distances from their loved ones, The Irish Catholic can reveal. This newspaper has also obtained figures which show that more and more people are also being forced to rely on government handouts…
As a decisive move towards a unified approach to the cancer of abuse, Rome’s unprecedented summit is a step forward, but the proof will be in the detail, writes Michael Kelly In his closing remarks to the summit on the protection of minors at the weekend, Pope Francis summoned the bishops and religious superiors…
Junno Arocho Esteves If they are truly serious about fighting clerical sex abuse, bishops must join forces with journalists and not view them as enemies plotting against the Catholic Church, Mexican journalist Valentina Alazraki said. Ms Alazraki, who has covered the Vatican for over four decades, told bishops at the Vatican summit on abuse that journalists…
Ireland’s newest political party has called for the return of the 50/50 recruitment policy in the PSNI, saying the drive to attract Catholics has “reversed”. Currently only one in five Catholics are successful in merit-based competitions and over 80% of officers above superintendent rank are Protestant. This comes as the Ulster Unionists rejected calls for…
A popular Sydney-based Irish priest has said he has serious doubts about the conviction of Cardinal George Pell for sexual abuse. Fr Brendan Purcell, who has known Cardinal Pell for more than 20 years insisted that there are serious questions about the fairness of the trial in which the cardinal was found guilty of abusing…
Despite an “enormous amount of urgent work” still needed to protect vulnerable children according to some Irish abuse survivors, they feel the Vatican abuse summit was a worthwhile endeavour. Dublin councillor Damian O’Farrell said he felt positive about the openness and honesty of many cardinals as well as the Pope during the four-day meeting which…
Colm Fitzpatrick
Chai Brady
Michael Kelly