Bishop Kevin Doran has accused politicians who voted for abortion of having a “brass neck” to begin Dáil proceedings with a prayer and then vote to end the life of unborn children. Reacting on Facebook to the passage of the first stage of the legislation, Dr Doran wrote “if you want an actual definition of…
The parish system in Ireland has been a vital source of comfort and support in combating loneliness, well-known actor Brendan O’Carroll has said. The Irish star, best recognised for portraying Agnes Brown in the television sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys, said that Mass historically curbed loneliness as it was a “central place” where people could go…
Dublin-based priest and author of Why the Irish Church Deserves to Die, Fr Joe McDonald has launched a new Church-reform initiative to address the problems it is currently facing. Speaking at the Roncalli Community launch this month, named after Pope John XXIII, Angelo Roncalli, Fr McDonald said we need to “preach Jesus and the Gospel…
Creating family-friendly church services will encourage new mothers to attend Mass, a Limerick-based priest has said. Fr Seamus Enright, Rector of the Redemptorist Fathers at Mount St Alphonsus Church, said that reassuring women that breastfeeding is acceptable at Mass will make mothers feel comfortable in going and bringing their children. “I suppose we’ve always operated…
Parishioners will be asked to dig deep next weekend to plug a shortfall in cash after August’s World Meeting of Families and the visit of Pope Francis. It will be the fifth time that a national collection has been taken up in parishes in a bid to cover costs associated with the event and visit…
The Irish Catholic readers have added their voice to a debate about whether the Angelus should stop being broadcast on Irish television. In an online poll, which racked up almost 1,500 votes, 94% of voters said the Angelus should continue to be broadcast on RTÉ, while only 6% said it should be stopped. The poll…
A new pastoral centre was opened on October 28 at the Church of the Guardian Angels in Newtownpark in Dublin by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin. The centre already has 150 volunteers who will help with the running of activities for everyone, ranging from toddlers to senior citizens. Alongside programmes like ballet lessons, parish priest Fr Dermot…
The diaconate in Ireland could help encourage vocations to the priesthood, a newly-ordained deacon has said. Prominent lawyer Brett Lockhart QC, who with eight other men was ordained a deacon earlier this month in Belfast’s St Peter’s Cathedral told The Irish Catholic that as the diaconate flourishes in Ireland, there will be a “better environment…
“Without the Christians, the Holy Land is no more than a museum”. This was the stark message from Bishop Giacinto-Boulos Marcuzzo to a group of participants in The Irish Catholic annual Christian Solidarity Pilgrimage to the Holy Land in Jerusalem last week. Bishop Marcuzzo – who is an anxiliary bishop to the Latin Patriarch of…
Government spokespeople have been unable to support a claim by Justice minister Charlie Flanagan that some countries at the United Nations “have quoted Ireland’s blasphemy laws in defence of their own repressive regimes”. Mr Flanagan made the claim on Twitter on Sunday, October 21, calling for people to vote this Friday to remove Ireland’s constitutional…
Colm Fitzpatrick