Ireland needs a “cultural shift” to change attitudes towards alcohol abuse

A leading prelate in Syria has called on “foreign forces” to end their support for Islamist fighters in Syria who have banded together with the aim of creating an Islamic state there. Gregorios III Laham, Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek Melkite Church issued his call last weekend following the announcement that seven Islamistrebel groups…

“The values that Columbanus preached and shared have stood the test of time”

The Irish Columban missionary, Fr Shay Cullen has praised the resilience of Filipinos in the wake of super-typhoon Haiyan, but has stressed that much more need to be done to help people to recover from the disaster. Following a trip with other members of his Preda Foundation to bring relief supplies into the disaster area,…

Presentation Sisters mark declaration of their founder as venerable

The parliamentary inquiry into the mishandling of abuse by the Catholic Church in the Australian state of Victoria has issued a report scathing of the local Church. Betrayal of Trust, the final report of the cross-party inquiry, launched in 2012, covers incidents of abuse by clergy from 1960 to 1985 and details what inquiry chairwoman…

Bishop Treanor commissioned the external independent review of Down & Connor in December 2012.

India – A Catholic in Kerala whose hand was cut off by Muslims who accused him of blasphemy has been acquitted of the charge after three years fighting for justice. Professor T.J. Joseph had been targeted when he set a test for his students in which the Prophet Mohammed was listed in a sentence with…

Msgr Jim Cassin said “it is essential that parents are catechised and empowered to carry out their formative role as evangelisers of their children”.

The faithful of the country are mourning the passing of Fr Luigi Pezzoni, an Italian missionary who spent nearly 50 years working with lepers as a member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions. Fr Pezzoni, who was 82, was ordained in 1958 and first travelled to India in 1966. By 1973 he had founded…