Category: Irish News

Worldwide threat to missionaries set to worsen, religious warn

The number of priests, religious and lay people being persecuted for spreading the Faith will continue to worsen, missionaries across Ireland have said. While Christians should always remain hopeful, Fr Fachtna O’Driscoll SMA, Superior General of the Society of African Missions, told The Irish Catholic that the number of missionaries being killed globally will continue…

‘Nasty nuns’ sub-plot twists new RTÉ historical drama

A forced-adoption subplot in RTÉ’s new drama about the War of Independence is an example of an “astonishing” lack of balance in Irish public debate about historical relations between Church and State, it has been claimed. Stressing the importance of investigating and honestly facing the darker aspects of Church history, Fr Conor McDonough OP lamented…

‘Sacrilege’ if Louth hospital keeps Catholic name

A leading theologian has said former Catholic institutions should not keep their names after the Church gives up governance, especially if they ‘violate Catholic teaching’. Almost 1,000 people attended a march to preserve the name of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co. Louth, on Monday after it was discovered there was a proposal…

Archbishop
 rejects 
resignation
 reports

Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has moved to quash rumours that he submitted his resignation to Pope Francis in 2015, five years before he would have been expected to do so. The Irish Times reported last week: “It is said that Archbishop Martin’s letter of resignation was submitted to Rome in 2015 when he reached the…

Famous singer calls for women to ‘choose life’

Well-known pop singer and actress Kaya Jones has revealed why she is so openly pro-life and said that we need to “expose the truth” about how damaging abortion can be. Writing on Twitter, the former Pussycat Doll said that she is one of many women who feel “ashamed” to speak publicly on this issue but…

Concrete action key to Vatican abuse summit

Consistency, accountability and concrete commitments to global implementation of safeguarding policies should be priorities for next month’s Vatican assembly of the heads of the world’s bishops’ conferences, child protection campaigner Marie Collins has said. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Mrs Collins said: “I think they have to come out of the meeting with something concrete,…

Ireland welcomes
 Pope’s
 call
 for 
international
 cooperation

Papal comments on the importance of countries working together “resonate strongly” with Ireland’s foreign policy, the Irish ambassador to the Holy See has said. Monday saw Pope Francis address members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Vatican, warning that the re-emergence of populist and nationalist ideologies is threatening the stability of international organisations and…