The Bishop of Waterford & Lismore has accused the Minister for Education & Skills of attempting to secularise the national school education system and to create a ‘one-size-fits-all’ model of school. Bishop Phonsie Cullinan also insisted that it is not true that Catholic schools are unreflective of a diverse society. He was reacting to the…

A leading member of the SDLP has warned that it would be inappropriate for any Catholic school now to indicate full support for Amnesty International considering the organisation’s policy on abortion.  Declan O’Loan, SDLP Councillor for Ballymena, said if a Catholic school “wishes to engage with Amnesty on its traditional human rights concerns, it would…

Ruairí (4) and Clodagh  (2) Connor pictured at the crib in St Gabriel’s Church, Dollymount Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.

The Church has been constant through crises and conflicts this year, writes Paul Keenan

Bishops have warned the Minister for Education not to “interfere with the ethos of faith schools” after she proposed plans to remove rules regarding religious education in national schools. Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan announced plans last week to remove Rule 68 and 69 from the Rules for National Schools next year. Rule 68 states…

Former Fine Gael party member Lucinda Creighton has said it is “ironic” that the Taoiseach Enda Kenny has now said he will contemplate a free vote in the parliamentary party in future in order to “get rid” of the abortion question. Ms Creighton, who left the party during the passage of the Protection of Life…

Bishops across the island opened a Holy Door in diocesan cathedrals over the weekend to launch the  celebrations for the Year of Mercy. Bishop Donal McKeown of Derry and Deacon Christopher McDermott are pictured blessing the congregation after the opening ceremony in St Eugene’s Cathedral on Sunday. Photo: Stephen Latimer

The international community must act decisively and follow the path mapped out at the Paris climate summit, Pope Francis has said. Speaking after the Angelus on Sunday, December 13, the Pope recognised how the agreement signed at the Climate Change Conference (COP21) had been “described by many as historic”, but stressed that “its implementation will…

US nuns and sisters more ethnically diverse, study shows Religious life in the US is becoming more multi-ethnic and more international according to a new study, Understanding US Catholic Sisters Today, commissioned by Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities (FADICA), which represents about 50 philanthropic organisations. The report, which highlights the major findings of recent sociological studies of women religious, said only…

Ill health has forced Cardinal George Pell to be excused from appearing in person at Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse until February. Justice Peter McClellan, chairing the commission’s inquiry, said he had received an email “to advise that the cardinal is currently affected by serious health conditions that, in the…