The loss of thousands of jobs from Ireland’s tourism sector is “very frightening” for families and communities, mostly rural and coastal, who are very reliant on the sector for jobs and income, parishes have warned. The warning comes after the Government estimated 10,000 jobs were lost due to the lack of hotel accommodation for tourists…
The scale of the persecution of Catholics under the regime of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua has been laid bare by a new report chronicling 529 attacks in the last five years alone. Jesuit Fr Kevin O’Higgins, who spent decades working in Latin America, told The Irish Catholic the report is “vital” in highlighting the crisis…
In light of a changing culture in Ireland, priests have said that engaged couples should be made aware of the fact that the Sacrament of Marriage can take place as its own rite, without requiring the celebration of the Eucharist. This comes following the continued general decline of religious weddings in Ireland, with two in…
Claims that the Vatican’s chief safeguarding body is experiencing “growing pains” as it develops a new methodology have been knocked down by a former member and survivor of clerical abuse. No one knows what the Commission for the Protection of Minors is doing, who is driving change and where financing is coming from because “it’s…
The Government’s hate speech bill has the potential to cause “immense damage” to free speech and democracy in Ireland, according to the former Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland. Baroness Nuala O’Loan, a member of the House of Lords, has said the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022 will create great…
A priest who became known around the world for his ministry at the time of the 1998 Omagh bombing has been remembered as a warm-hearted pastoral man. Fr Kevin Mullan died in the early hours of Saturday morning and was buried following Requiem Mass in his native Omagh on Tuesday. In a demonstration of the…
The legalisation of euthanasia puts pressure on the elderly and people with disabilities to “simply dispose of themselves”, political party Aontú has insisted in their manifesto released this week. Aontú launched the party’s local election 2023 manifesto on Tuesday in Belfast. It also highlights the political crises facing the North and the need to push…
Almost half of Irish adults interact with charities through attending a religious service, a new study from the Irish Charities Regulator shows. At 47% of Irish adults, attending a religious service is second only to buying from a charity store (54%) for involvement with charitable organisations, research from Amárach released Tuesday shows. People over 55…
Well-known American actor Chris Pratt has said the example of Christ’s suffering has helped him deal with criticism about his Christian faith. At a screening for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Mr Pratt said that criticism of Christian beliefs is “nothing knew”. “That’s the way it is, nothing new, 2,000 years ago they hated…
Parents of children diagnosed with terminal conditions feel like the first thing that’s being offered to them is abortion, according to a spokesperson for Every Life Counts. Vicky Wall, speaking on behalf of the support network for families whose child is diagnosed with a life-limiting condition, confirmed that this can deprive parents of the opportunity…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady