The rights of religious organisations working in the areas of marriage, education and health are under threat because of “equality legislation that does not recognise the right to protect religious ethos”, Bishop Kevin Doran has said. The Bishop of Elphin made the remark in a talk called ‘How should a Catholic think about politics?’ that…

The late Princess of Wales developed a friendship with an Irish nun who offered her “prayers and support” during the public breakdown of her marriage, a series of letters, newly discovered in Ireland, reveal. Letters and a Christmas card sent by Princess Diana in 1992 to Sr Teresa of the Little Sisters of the Assumption…

An Irish missionary based in the Philippines has described the homophobic comments of Filipino world boxing title holder Manny Pacquiao, as “deplorable”. Irish Columban missionary Fr Shay Cullen, who has lived in the Philippines for over 40 years working with street children, said the boxer’s remarks that “If men mate with men and women mate…

Creighton was right to quit FG – voters Renua leader Lucinda Creighton was right to quit Fine Gael, according to almost half of her constituents. The Dublin Bay South TD sacrificed her junior ministry and a potential promotion to Cabinet when she voted against the Government’s controversial abortion legislation in 2013. A poll by research firm Millward Brown for the Irish Independent…

Faith and sport are “intertwined” to the extent that they are the “matrix” for strong parish communities, a leading physical therapist has claimed. Gerard Hartmann, who has treated some of the world’s most elite sport stars, made the remarks at a diocesan-run sports conference in Limerick. “Where we see strong communities you typically see faith…

Fr Ted co-writer Graham Linehan, has defended his “gothic horror” style video which calls for the abolition of Ireland’s constitutional protection for the unborn. The video, called ‘Chains’, which was released in October 2015, has been strongly criticised in numerous quarters. Former Taoiseach John Bruton described the video as “totally anti-Christian” and Sunday Independent columnist…

Young people from the Diocese of Derry have taken up the challenge to ‘Debate the Bishop’ in a series of Lenten meetings organised by the Derry Youth Community. On Sunday Bishop Donal McKeown took part in the first debate with young people aged between 16-21 in St Mary’s College, Derry on the topic of ‘Profession…

Remarks by Pope Francis that Catholic women with Zika virus might be able to use contraception do not change Church teaching, a leading moral theologian has said. Zika virus has been linked by some to birth defects in babies, especially microcephaly which causes them to be born with abnormally small heads, but the link has…

The Mercy Sisters have rejected suggestions that they sought to block the provision of modular homes for homeless people. In The Irish Times in a February 15 article headed ‘Nuns lodge objection to modular housing’ it was reported that the Mercy Sisters were among those who had “lodged objections to the planned provision of 135…

Staff reporter Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor is set to return to his Irish parents’ birth place to address parishioners on Pope Francis and the Year of Mercy. The Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster and former President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales will give a lecture in Christ the King Church, Turners Cross, Co. Cork…