Fr Martin Clarke has died at the age of 66 after a long illness

Italy – The name ‘Francesco’ has become the most popular baby name in the country following the choice of that name by the Pope. A study undertaken by Tor Vergata University in Rome found that, while ‘Francesco’ has long been a popular name across Italy, in the months since the election of the new Pontiff,…

Kevin Kennedy has spoken about how his faith helped him through dark times

Pope Francis welcomed the Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to the Vatican on Monday. The Vatican Press Office reported the Popeís delight at greeting Ms Suu Kyi, "one of the most significant personalities in Asia in the area of peace, democracy and peaceful coexistence", a woman who spent 15 years under house arrest…

Founder of Catholic Grandparents Association meets Pope Francis

Germany – The Vatican has announced that the Vicar General of the German Diocese of Limburg will administer the troubled diocese following the removal of Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, whose €31 million spend on his house caused uproar in the country. According to the Vatican press office, Pope Francis authorised "a period of leave outside…

Combined Catholic Parishes of Clondalkin to hold an exhibition of student work

United Nations – Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, the Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations has called on the international community to seize the opportunity in disarming weapons of mass destruction. During an address to the UN General Assembly last week, the archbishop said recent moves on chemical weapons in…

UCC to host a major conference on Pope JPII

Vatican – The newly-appointed Vatican Secretary of State, Archbishop Pietro Parolin is recuperating after his recent surgery, the Holy See Press Office has said. In a statement last weekend, the office said: "As is known, he recently underwent a surgical procedure, which took place in Padua in the department of hepatobiliary surgery in the university…