Courtney McGrailStaff reporter Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has predicted that a 2018 papal visit could see a “significant” gesture of reconciliation from Pope Francis. Speaking at a press conference in Rome this week to launch the theme of the World Meeting of Families, Dr Martin said “I think that a visit to Northern Ireland, even a short visit,…
Category: News
Fundraising for World Meeting of Families to be rolled out at Masses
Cathal BarryA major fundraising drive for World Meeting of Families in Dublin in 2018 is set to be rolled out at Masses across the country this weekend. The Irish Catholic understands that a target of €12 million has been set to support the hosting of the event, which will be held in Dublin from August 22-26,…
Catholic children may be turned away from faith schools
Staff reporter Children from Catholic families may be refused places in Catholic schools if a new admissions policy is adopted. A new group consisting of leading Catholic educationalists and barrister Patrick Treacy, is seeking a change to the admissions policy of Catholic schools to reflect the changed nature of Irish society. The Faith in Our Schools…
Parish system ideal for integration
Mags GarganThe UN Special Representative for International Migration has said that the parish system in Ireland is the best method for facilitating the integration of refugees. Peter Sutherland, a Dubliner and former Attorney General, gave the annual Trócaire lecture in Maynooth last week on the migrant crisis, which he described as the “great challenge of our…
Inquest into nuns’ fatal road crash
An inquest is set to be held into the deaths of Belfast nuns Sr Bridgett Marie Duddy and Sr Frances Forde who were killed in a road crash involving an unmarked PSNI vehicle in Newry in 2014. A preliminary inquest was held into the deaths of the two Sisters of Mercy in Belfast last week,…
Europe’s dangerous course
Paul Keenan
The Church urges the continent to be true to its values, writes Paul Keenan “What has happened to you, the Europe of humanism, the champion of human rights, democracy and freedom? What has happened to you, Europe, the mother of peoples and nations, the mother of great men and women who upheld, and even sacrificed…
ACP leaders ‘sitting on the fence’ not to offend members
A founder of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) has expressed frustration that many Irish priests are unwilling to embrace the radical agenda of the leaders of the organisation. Redemptorist Fr Tony Flannery – who has now stepped down from the helm of the group – said the leadership of the ACP had on occasion…
Vatican workers: Worthy of their wages?
With a flourish he inherited from Argentina’s legendarily populist political force, Peronism, Pope Francis from the beginning has been a vocal champion of labour and workers’ rights, backing measures such as equal pay for equal jobs between men and women, affordable housing and land, and living wages. Just last week, during his daily morning Mass,…
‘Inappropriate’ behaviour claim robustly dealt with – Maynooth
Anonymous complaint alleges misconduct
Claim that surrogacy would be ‘final blow’ against Italian family
The legalisation of surrogacy would be “the final blow” against the family in Italian law, the head of Italy’s bishops’ conference has said, saying surrogacy “exploits the female body” and profits from the poverty of women. Addressing members of the bishops’ conference, Genoa’s Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco said under a new law civil unions are implicitly…