“Human rights concerns” were on the agenda during An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar’s meeting with Chinese Premier, Li Qiang, this week according to the Department of the Taoiseach. Mr Li, China’s second most powerful man, made a two-day state visit to Ireland this week, during which time he met separately with Mr Varadkar at Farmleigh House…
Independent Senator Ronan Mullen launched a stinging criticism of the Government’s proposals to remove the terms ‘women’ and ‘mother’ from the constitution, suggesting that Government is deviating from its official programme and being guided by specific ideologies instead. “The Government now wants to remove mention of ‘woman’, ‘mother’ and ‘home’ from the Constitution,” he said.…
Three quarters of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland are not registering at the point of arrival into the country, figures released by the Government show. Of the almost 9,000 migrants seeking international protection who arrived in Ireland in 2023, just 2,056 registered at airports and ports, figures released to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín revealed. The…
Pope Benedict’s theological legacy is instructive for helping Catholic schools provide “holistic education” in Ireland, an Irish attendee at a conference in Australia on Pope Benedict’s theological legacy has said. CEO of the Catholic Education Partnership, Alan Hynes told The Irish Catholic newspaper from Perth, Australia, that “our schools should be Christ-centred, pupil-focused and informed…
Star of the Amazon Prime hit series Reacher, Alan Ritchson, has thanked God for the platform the show’s success has given him to reach out to those who don’t yet know God. In a YouTube video response to those who criticise his portrayal of the violent Jack Reacher while being a professed Christian, Mr Ritchson…
Oscar winning director Martin Scorsese has announced the completion of the script for a new movie, A Life of Jesus. Mr Scorsese co-wrote the screenplay with critic and filmmaker Kent Jones, based on Shusaku Endo’s book of the same name, and plans to to shoot it later this year. The American director said he envisions…
The German Child Protection Association has criticised Pope Francis for his comments on the beating of children. “There is no justification for beating children, not even a papal one,” said Daniel Grein, Federal Director of the Child Protection Association, in Berlin. “Anyone who physically abuses a child is doing the wrong thing. This also includes…
Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa has been released from prison and sent into exile along with 18 imprisoned churchmen as the Nicaraguan government expelled its most prominent critic, whose presence behind bars bore witness to the Sandinista regime’s descent into totalitarianism, along with its unrelenting persecution of the Catholic Church. Vatican News confirmed on January 14 at…
Amid an unprecedented wave of violence in Ecuador, the South American country’s bishops’ conference issued a statement asking the people to unite against the disturbance caused by criminal gangs, whose operations were defined as acts of “treason against the nation”. The incidents began after José Adolfo Macías Villamar, the leader of the criminal gang Los…
Kerry diocese keeps ‘hope alive’ with mission The diocese of Kerry has launched its online mission, ‘Hope Alive!’, from January 21 to 24. Well-known humanitarian Adi Roche headlines the mission and will reflect on what it means to welcome the stranger on Sunday, January 21, at 8pm. Guest speakers include Fr Michael Conway, Dr Keith…
Brandon Scott
Ruadhán Jones