Former Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan has appealed for Pope Francis to visit the North during his trip to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families this summer, saying he could bring ‘healing’ to the region. Her suggestion, however, met with a cool reaction, with Vatican officials seemingly feeling it would be difficult to include a…
Pro-life campaigners have reacted with scepticism to the SDLP’s decision to retain its pro-life policy while allowing members to campaign for pro-choice policies. The party decided at a conference on Saturday to adopt a formal position of being pro-life, but with individual members allowed to choose their own stance on abortion as a matter of…
The founder of the suicide prevention charity Pieta House has said it is important to remember the human stories behind mental health statistics. New figures have revealed that almost 17,000 children between five and 17 are waiting over a year to see a psychologist. The charity’s founder Joan Freeman said that many parents and children…
Well-known church reopens Knock Parish Church and Apparition Chapel reopened on Friday, May 18, after having been closed for months for refurbishment works. Both the church and Apparition Chapel have been closed since last October to make way for complete refurbishment. Speaking about the refurbishment, Fr Richard Gibbons, PP, Rector of Knock Shrine said: “The Parish Church…
Archbishop Eamon Martin and the Church of Ireland Archbishop Richard Clarke will lead people of varying ages and backgrounds on pilgrimage next week. To mark the centenary of World War I Protestants and Catholics will visit historic and poignant sites relating to the war. It will culminate in a reflective visit to the Island of…
In a letter sent to all Catholic parishes over the weekend, Bishop Joseph Toal, who is responsible for safeguarding on behalf of the Bishops of Scotland, has marked the publication of new national safeguarding standards which come into force on Monday May 21. In his letter, Bishop Toal commended the publication of In God’s Image,…
A prominent pro-life group has said that if abortion on demand is introduced, “thousands” more abortions will happen in Ireland every year. Earlier in Dublin today, the LoveBoth campaign gathered together individuals and families whose lives have been saved by the Eighth Amendment. They gave a direct message to Irish people as they go to…
One of Ireland’s best-known trade unionists has come out for a ‘no’ bote in the forthcoming referendum on abortion. David Begg – who served as secretary general of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions from 2001 to 2015 – described the defence of the unborn as “the most crucial justice question of our time”. Writing…
A leading pro-life group has condemned the actions of Minister of Health Simon Harris for “cynically” using the issue of abortion pills to argue for the repeal of the Eighth Amendment and has suggested that better solutions to this issue are needed. Speaking at a press conference in Dublin today, LoveBoth spokesperson Caroline Simons said…
The number of students seeking help from the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) to help them get a third-level education continues to rise, and the society needs help to help them. That’s the message this week from the SVP as it launches a national appeal to support its Education and Training Bursary Fund. “SVP members know…
Greg Daly
Michael Kelly