Some people enter a theatre of war and never see battle. I was in Paris last week, at the height of the reported violence, and witnessed nothing amiss. Wherever I went in central Paris, it was untroubled: the Etoile area, the Louvre, the Comedie-Française (playing to full houses), Montparnasse, the Bibliothèque Nationale, the Latin Quarter,…
The Irish community in Paris has joined in prayers for peace following days of protest across France after the shooting dead of a 17-year-old by a police officer. Nahel M., who is Algerian and of Moroccan descent, was shot during a traffic stop in Nanterre, a Paris suburb on June 27. Violent protests broke out…
Persistent violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the emergence of new groups of militia are key concerns of the Catholic bishops in the Central African nation. In a statement issued at the end of their June 19–22 plenary assembly, members of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO)…
The Catholic Church in Germany, shaken by the abuse scandal, is continuing to shrink, with more than half a million people officially quitting the Church in 2022. Most of the resignations occurred in the Archdiocese of Cologne. The wave of resignations from the Church in Germany has reached a record high, according to figures published by the…
Gogglebox Ireland has put out a call for nuns and priests to be a part of their TV show, which focuses on friends and families across the country watching television and filmed to see their reactions. Series producer Gareth McGreevy has said they are hoping to cast clergy and religious as their new ‘Goggleboxers’. Speaking…
Fr Shaun Doherty, a former radio host who gave up his chatshow to give his life to God, was ordained a priest for Derry diocese on July 2. The priest was one of Ireland’s most popular radio hosts, spending 30 years on the airwaves for Donegal’s Highland Radio. Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown ordained Fr…
Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki plans to take legal action after investigators searched his residence and other buildings of the Archdiocese of Cologne June 27, the KNA news agency reported “What bothers us is not the raid, but that the information and the date appear to have been leaked to the media,” Cardinal Woelki’s lawyer, Bjoern…
The Vatican vetoed the appointment of a new dean at a seminary in Northern Italy, citing concerns over the appointee’s views on sexual morality diverging from the Church’s teachings. On June 26, the Philosophical-Theological College in Bressanone (PTH Brixen), announced that Fr Martin Lintner, OSM, had been chosen to serve as dean for the term…
This year’s Rally for Life saw thousands gather in Dublin to “hold the Government to account for the spiralling abortion rate”, as the large crowd filled O’Connell Street on Saturday, July 1. A Rally for Life spokesperson called for the three-day wait before abortion to be retained and criticised a Dáil bill seeking to legalise…
Audrey Bryce When Fr Pat Neeson joined the priesthood, he had his heart set from the very start on ending up somewhere like Malawi, Africa, to begin his ministry. Fr Neeson was passionate about his calling, saying, “All through my training I wanted to go there. I thought I would go to Africa, and I…
Mary Kenny
Chai Brady
Ruadhán Jones