Cardinal Bertone ‘knew about Pope Benedict’s resignation’ seven months before event Former Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone knew Pope Benedict XVI was considering stepping down at Pope at least seven months before his resignation was announced, according to a Huffington Post interview. The cardinal says he had many doubts about Pope Benedict’s plan, and said they “debated the topic at length after it…

The Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice (JCFJ) has warned that a recent investigation report into care at the national children’s detention facility is of “extreme concern”. Eoin Carroll, Advocacy and Social Policy Research Officer at the JCFJ told The Irish Catholic “the current physical surroundings and internal architecture of Oberstown makes it an extremely…

Pope Francis has dismissed the former parish priest of Bangor, Co. Down from the clerical state following his conviction for sex abuse charges. James Donaghy was convicted in December 2011 of 23 sex abuse charges against three individuals and sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2012. In 2013 he was sentenced to another two…

A new opinion poll conducted by Amarach Research on behalf of The Iona Institute has found that 91% of respondents believe that when a child is being placed for adoption, it is best to try and place the child with a man and a woman. The second preference was a woman on her own, followed…

The narrative of Pope Francis as a progressive reformer is becoming so set in stone as to be beyond rethinking or nuance, writes John L. Allen Jr.

A number of members of religious orders are due to receive awards this week to honour their work in charity, overseas development and social activism. This weekend Dublin’s Lord Mayor, Christy Burke, will confer the Honorary Freedom of the City of Dublin on Bro. Kevin Crowley of the Capuchin Day Centre, which offers free meals…

Harry Fitzgerald, Anne Nagle, Michael Dovel, Hannah Best and Warwick De Silva at the Pure in Heart stand in the Divine Mercy Conference last weekend in Dublin’s RDS. See Page 8. Photo: John Mc Elroy  

Fr Peter McVerry will lead an ‘Evening of Reflection for Lent’ in St Mary’s Church, Dingle, Co. Kerry on Monday, March 2 at 7.30pm. The advocate for the homeless will share his Gospel witness as part of Dingle Parish’s ‘150th Fé Bhláth’ celebrating St Mary’s Church (1865-2015). Enquiries or information: 066-9151208 or tighnasagart@gmail.com  

Ireland’s 24th Divine Mercy Conference was a “full house” at the weekend, according to conference organiser Don Devaney. As expected, 3,500 attended on Saturday, with 3,000 coming along on Sunday. Mr Devaney said “having an all-Irish line-up made a difference” and he received a lot of positive feedback on the speakers, with people praising how…

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin has advised priests that, in the context of forthcoming referendums, churches “are not appropriate places” to distribute campaign literature and that in “no circumstance” should they be distributed through schools. A statement on the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference website says that “experience has shown that during political campaigns, churches, because…