Pop superstar Katy Perry has revealed she turned to prayer to give her the confidence to perform during the half-time show at the Super-Bowl recently. “I over prepared myself and did a lot of prayer and meditation,” the world-acclaimed singer said of her dazzling performance. “It’s funny, I was praying and I got a word…

Pope Francis’ authorisation of a decree recognising that Salvadoran archbishop Oscar Romero was killed “in hatred of the faith” and the subsequent announcement that the murdered archbishop will be beatified later this year have been greeted with delight in El Salvador. Msgr. Ricardo Urioste, who served as Archbishop Romero’s vicar general and is now president…

Almost two thirds of people believe that a child is more likely to grow up happy if raised in a home with a mother and father. A survey carried out by Amárach Research on behalf of Accord, the Catholic marriage care service, has shown a strong support for marriage in Ireland. Some 61% considered marriage…

The international community and national authorities must work together to liberate those areas occupied by Islamic State as soon as possible, according to an extraordinary synod of the Chaldean Bishops, and should “put in place the necessary measures to protect Christians and other Iraqis, so they all return to their homes and live in safety…

Following her participation at the latest meeting of a new Vatican commission set up by Pope Francis to fight sex abuse, a prominent abuse survivor has said she is happy with how progress is being made. Marie Collins had expressed her frustration at the slow pace of progress in advance of the three-day meeting of…

Indian Church leaders have criticised the heavy-handed tactics of police who arrested almost 200 protestors assembled at New Delhi’s Sacred Heart Cathedral to protest against recent attacks on churches. Among those arrested were the archdiocesan vicar general Fr Susai Sebastian, civil rights activist and former All India Catholic Union president John Dayal, and Divine Word…

People in international dress representing diverse communities in the archdiocese at the installation ceremony of the new Archbishop of Cashel & Emly, Dr Kieran O’Reilly in the Cathedral of the Assumption in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Photo: Bernadette Sweetman

Rome’s first official red-light district is to be established in April, after Mayor Ignazio Marino gave his backing to council proposals. Although soliciting, pimping, and operating brothels are illegal in Italy, Italian law does not ban the sale of sex. Roughly half of Italy’s 70-100,000 prostitutes are believed to be foreign nationals, with two-thirds working…

A legal expert has questioned the appropriateness of apparent support by An Post of a ‘yes’ vote in the forthcoming referendum on same-sex marriage. It comes as the State-run company produced a stamp to coincide with this weekend’s celebration of St Valentine’s Day which included the international symbol used to promote the redefinition of marriage.…

Pope’s promotion of spiritual purification is ‘painful and liberating’ In reforming the Roman Curia, “Pope Francis is promoting a spiritual purification of the temple, which is both painful and liberating, with the aim of making the glory of God, light of all, shine again in the Church,” according to Cardinal Gerhard Müller. Writing in L’Osservatore…