The Pope’s safeguarding commission, preparing to move into a fresco-ceilinged palace in Rome’s historic centre, must not be merely engaged in “PR”, but become a refuge for those abused by clergy and silenced by the Church, said leading safeguarding expert Jesuit Fr Hans Zollner. Speaking to journalists April 17 about his decision to leave the…
A former drug addict-turned-counsellor, who shared his experiences with Pope Francis, has warned that any discussion about liberalising drug laws must also focus on the “cocaine-fuelled violence” which is gripping parishes across Ireland. Working out of Cuan Mhuire’s addiction centre in Athy, Co. Kildare, Damian Richardson – who spoke of his experiences of addiction before…
The rector of Knock Shrine has said they were “very happy” to welcome US President Joe Biden as a pilgrim for private prayer, despite his political policy on abortion. President Biden believes abortion is a ‘right’ and has continuously promised to introduce ‘abortion protections’ into US law following the overturning of Roe vs Wade which…
The Church’s “wobbling” over the question of ordaining women to the diaconate is a scandal, a leading theologian told a symposium at Trinity College Dublin. There “is not now and never has been any doctrinal finding that women cannot be ordained to the diaconate”, said Dr Phyllis Zagano, an expert on women in the diaconate.…
The precarious state of South Africa’s electricity grid, which sees regular “planned and controlled” shutdowns of parts of the grid so as to avoid a national blackout, has led to a “depressed” people an Irish archbishop living there has claimed. Speaking to The Irish Catholic about the controversial “load shedding” practice, Archbishop Liam Slattery OFM…
Dublin diocese has updated its privacy policy to defend itself from lawsuits under the right to privacy and GDPR laws. Some dioceses, including Archbishop Dermot Farrell’s former diocese of Ossory, have faced complaints from individuals alleging their rights were being breached by the dioceses keeping their baptismal certificate after requests for them to be destroyed.…
The recent Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) conference saw delegates criticise “insensitive comments” made by school management bodies expressing opposition to teaching controversial gender ideology. Early March saw the Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA) say that teaching primary school students about transgenderism “would be counterproductive, generating unnecessary divisions in school communities” and that it…
The home of an Aontú election candidate in Newry was targeted with sectarian graffiti, the party announced on Monday. In a statement Aontú said loyalists defaced Sharon Loughran’s property with the words ‘Aontú IRA out’ and ‘UDA’. The incident has been reported to the PSNI. Ms Loughran said: “This has come as a massive shock to…
Minister for Education Norma Foley received hundreds of letters from parents, teachers, school principals and medical professionals over plans to reform sex education in primary and secondary schools. The letters question plans for children to be taught about subjects including masturbation, pornography and consent, according to The Sunday Independent. In one letter a primary school…
Clonard Redemptorist monastery, Belfast – which was at the centre of peace-making efforts during the Troubles – hosted a “recommitment service” on Sunday, April 16. Community leaders, clerics and political dignitaries including US Special Envoy Joseph Kennedy III, joined in tribute to peace workers who were inspired by their faith, 25 years on from the…
Chai Brady
Ruadhán Jones