Ireland’s longest-serving diocesan bishop has raised the question of whether it is time to separate the religious and civil aspects of Irish weddings. Speaking at a Limerick conference, Clonfert’s Bishop John Kirby told Austria’s Cardinal Christoph Schönborn how “in Ireland there’s a very close link between civil marriage and Church marriage”, and asked whether the…

Charismatic RTÉ personality and “man of Faith” Marty Morrissey is set to make his debut appearance at the Knock annual novena next month. With the theme ‘Living Life to the Full’ the National Novena to Our Lady of Knock will run from Monday, August 14 until Tuesday 22. Mr Morrissey will speak on Wednesday 16…

Comments by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin at a conference in Germany are helpful neither to Irish Catholics nor to relations between Church and State in Ireland, a leading academic has said. Describing as “distorted” the archbishop’s assessment of the origins of the distinctly Catholic character of independent Ireland and the reluctance within the Church to hand…

President praises church famine appeal President Michael D. Higgins has paid tribute to the decision by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference to organise special collections at churches across Ireland this weekend, to raise funds for people affected by the famine in East-Africa. He called on all Irish citizens and organisations to take this call as…

Staff reporter A senior barrister has called on Church leaders to speak out with confidence for Christian values in the run-in to next year’s World Meeting of Families in Dublin. Writing in The Irish Catholic, Patrick Treacy SC praises Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin for his outstanding leadership in tackling child sexual abuse, his ongoing support…

The Bishop of Meath has dismissed the issue of female priests as an “insult to women” that suggests there is “a lacking in women” because they are not priests. Bishop Michael Smith said he “wouldn’t put any bets on” women ever being ordained priests. “I’d say that will never happen, I don’t think so,” he…

Some 300 young people attending a conference on evangelisation at the weekend have been challenged by the Irish primate to share their gift of faith. Archbishop Eamon Martin said he longed for a New Pentecost in Ireland, “to transform and renew the Faith in this country” and asked the young people to “be open to…

Five of the 2016 Rose of Tralee entrants – Niamh Moriarty, Westmeath Rose; Zoe McGettigan, Donegal Rose; Mairead McHugh, Fermanagh Rose; Eiméar Cassidy, Derry Rose and Megan Ferguson, Louth Rose – pictured with Prior Owen McEneaney after completing the Lough Derg three-day pilgrimage at the weekend.

Former Northern Ireland footballer, Fr Philip Mulryne OP (centre, left) pictured with Dominican colleagues and some of his former Norwich City FC teammates at his ordination by Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia OP in St Saviour’s Church, Dominican St, Dublin on Saturday. Photo: Fr Pius Pietrzyk OP

The farm manager at Glencairn Abbey in Co. Waterford has joined an all-female silage crew who will make a Guinness world record attempt in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society. Sr Lily Scullion, from St Mary’s Cisterican Abbey will mow, rake, draw and pit 30 acres of silage with 40 other women at Mount Melleray on…