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…
Bishop Donal McKeown has likened Brexit to radical nationalist movements in Germany, France and the US under Donald Trump’s administration, saying the Church’s message is more appealing to “many young people”. The Church’s message focuses “very strongly on the whole idea of reconciliation and healing, it certainly has a huge contribution to make,” he told…
Primate of All-Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin has expressed the hope that his counterpart in Dublin Diarmuid Martin could give input to a key Rome meeting on abuse next year. Speaking to Crux at the Synod of Bishops, Archbishop Eamon said that the Dublin archbishop “has a knowledge and understanding of this issue which I think…
Irish Cervical Cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan has been tapped to receive the Fitzgerald Bible Award for her role in the CervicalCheck scandal. Ms Phelan settled a High Court action against a US lab after her cancer was missed in a smear test. Chairman of the Fitzgerald Bible Bruff Award group Paul Dennehy said the award…
The World Meeting of Families was “overshadowed” and “hijacked” by claims that Pope Francis had long been aware of sexual misconduct concerns about former US Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Armagh’s Archbishop Eamon Martin has said. Speaking to Cruxnow.com, the Primate of All-Ireland praised the event as a Church event of “great joy and participation”, and said…
As the deadline for a deal on Britain’s controversial exit from the European Union looms, border parishioners are anxious about the uncertainty, priests have warned. Clones-based Msgr Richard Mohan told The Irish Catholic this week that there was “concern” in the parish, which is on the border between Co. Monaghan and Co. Fermanagh. He said…
EXCLUSIVE The government is relying on charities to help the most vulnerable citizens in the North because the social welfare system can’t cope, The Irish Catholic can reveal. Government offices are increasingly referring hard-pressed welfare recipients who are struggling to the Society of St Vincent de Paul to meet a shortfall caused by welfare reform.…
One of Ireland’s leading Islamic clerics has called for the release of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian who has been tried for blasphemy. “I call for her release and I believe that she should be released. This is the right thing to do according to Islamic teaching,” Shayk Dr Umar Al-Qadri told The Irish Catholic.…
Ireland should keep its constitutional ban on blasphemy for the sake of social cohesion, especially at a time when Ireland’s demographic and religious landscape is changing, a leading priest-sociologist has said. Arguing that blasphemy, if not legally prohibited, “can be a serious source of disintegration in our society”, Mayo-based Jesuit Fr Micheál MacGréil, says that…
West Dublin parishes have described as “shocking” the decision to close the capital’s largest direct provision centre, which could leave as many as 80 people homeless, and have urged the Government to reverse the decision. The 225 residents of Clondalkin Towers were told this month that the centre’s management company Fazyard Ltd., is pulling out…
Chai Brady
Greg Daly
Colm Fitzpatrick