After postponing his trip last July, Pope Francis has rescheduled for January 31-February 5 his trip to Congo and his ecumenical visit to South Sudan, the Vatican announced. With the Pope’s mobility still impaired, the new schedule for the trip has been trimmed slightly from what was planned in July, according to the scheduled released…
St Muredach’s Cathedral in Ballina, Co. Mayo welcomed 71 recipients of the John Paul II Award, Friday December 2. Bishop John Fleming of Killala Diocese was present to see the awards that enable participants to “take an active part in the life of their Church, in the life of their community and society” granted to…
Migration across the Mediterranean Sea is as old as humanity, and while some governments say they want to stop that movement of people, it will not and should not happen, Pope Francis said. “Migration is essential to the well-being of this area and cannot be stopped. Therefore, it is in the interest of all parties…
The tranquil setting of Lough Derg, Co. Donegal saw the return of Youth 2000’s recent Ulster regional retreat, with Ulster regional retreat leader Lisa Russell saying everyone was “taken aback by the beauty of the island”. “It was our first Ulster [regional] retreat back in three years and we were blessed to be back on…
Prefect of Vatican economy office steps down Three years after Pope Francis appointed him to speed up financial reforms, transparency and budget controls at the Vatican, Jesuit Fr Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves has resigned for health reasons. The Vatican announced November 30 that Fr Guerrero was stepping down as prefect of the Secretariat for the…
8 out of 10 Irish adults to give to charity at Christmas More than 8 out of 10 Irish adults plan on making a donation to charity over the Christmas period, a new survey has shown. Some 86% of Irish adults will definitely or probably make a charitable donation of money, time or goods during…
Chai Brady, Ruadhán Jones and Jason Osborne Senior Oireachtas members have criticised the “lack of respect” shown for Christians as publicly-funded agencies increasingly use ‘winter’ instead of ‘Christmas’ to speak about the celebration of the birth of Christ. The stance taken by bodies like Dublin City Council and Fáilte Ireland of excluding Christian sentiments is…
Staff Reporter Pope Francis has described meeting survivors of abuse in Ireland as “one of the most heated situations I have had to face”. The Pope was referring to the meeting in 2018 during the World Meeting of Families which took place a day before the Mass in the Phoenix Park. In a new interview,…
The nature of religious symbols across hundreds of State-run primary and secondary schools will be decided on a school by school basis, in consultation with parents according to a new ETB framework on ethos. The ETBI Patrons’ Framework on Ethos applies to over 200 second-level and primary schools run by the Education and Training Boards…
A new bill aimed at addressing the legacy of the Troubles in the North of Ireland deprives victims of their fundamental rights, according to a member of the House of Lords. Baroness Nuala O’Loan, former Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland, has condemned what she calls the “ludicrously named” Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill.…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady