The sole Irish member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has said she is “disappointed” with comments by Pope Francis recorded in a five-month-old video that was made public last week. Abuse survivor Marie Collins was responding to a video in which the Pontiff was recorded speaking to the former spokesman for…

Pope calls for Catholics to face challenges of migration The Pope’s message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which will be celebrated on January 17 in most countries has been published by the Vatican. Presenting the message, Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and…

Roscrea’s Mount St Joseph Abbey is to host a retreat on how monastic virtues can help support family life. The retreat, to be held over October 16-18, is entitled “Supporting Family Life through the values of Cistercian Monasticism”, and builds on the success of a similar retreat last year.  Integritas founder Patrick Treacy told The…

Congo's Catholic bishops have criticised Western governments for failing to stop the abuse of Africa’s natural resources. “Awareness by the major polluting countries comes nowhere near to any concrete commitment, or to the efforts required in countries whose forests provide the lungs for conserving the world's bio-diversity,” the bishops’ commission on natural resources said in…

“Red tape gone mad” is now preventing priests and other religious ministers making hospital visits from finding out if any of their parishioners have been admitted. Traditionally clergy could access a ‘religious list’ at hospital receptions which gave patients’ names, addresses and religions so that they could ascertain if any parishioners had been admitted. Over…

The time for cautious diplomacy in dealing with the Ukrainian crisis is over, the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church has said. Expressing disappointment in the Vatican’s low-key approach to the issue, Kiev-Halych’s Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said “The fact that 70 percent of Ukrainian army regulars fighting against separatists and Russian soldiers have Russian as…

Urgent reform of the direct provision system needed to address existing barriers to integration

The Chairman of the Pro-Life Campaign is to speak on ‘Repealing the Eighth Amendment: What would Blessed Titus Brandsma do?’ on Wednesday, October 7 at 6.30pm in the Central Catholic Library, Merrion Square, Dublin 2.  Dr Joe McCarroll will speak at the first of a number of talks to be held at the venue organised…

Coup leaders agree to restore power to deposed Burkina Faso leader Leaders of a September 16 coup in Burkina Faso are to restore to power the deposed president Michel Kafando. The army and the Régiment Sécurité Présidentielle (RSP) have agreed that the latter should withdraw from their positions in the capital city Ouagadougou, while the…

The winners of The Irish Catholic competition for tickets to hear Philip Scott sing in the National Concert Hall on October 4 are Brid Dillon from Ennis, Co. Clare, and Pamela Doyle, from Terenure, Dublin 12. Philip Scott will be singing the songs of Count John McCormack.