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…

The chief executive of Northern Ireland transport company Translink has announced he is to quit his job to become a Gospel preacher. David Strahan said he would be leaving business life for personal reasons – to “devote his life to preaching the Gospel”. “I know many people may not understand this decision but, as this…

Portlaoise parish is to celebrate a novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help between Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 8. Parish Priest Msgr John Byrne has invited people to make a commitment to participate in what curate Fr Paddy Byrne calls a “novena of hope”. Describing Portlaoise as a place with a lively faith,…

Just €1 a day throughout Lent could make a huge difference in the lives of orphaned and abandoned children on the Thai-Burma border, according to a new charity appeal. Thai Children’s Trust Ireland, which supports disadvantaged and disabled children in Thailand and surrounding countries, has launched the Lenten campaign ‘Feed a Future’ to provide a…

Cathal Barry and Greg Daly   Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin has said he is “appalled” to hear of delays by some religious orders in fully implementing standards and guidelines on child protection. Following reviews last autumn, the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI) warned that several congregations have…

Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly has set out a number of key priorities for his ministry, writes Cathal Barry

The Supreme Court of Canada has struck down laws against physician-assisted suicide