The persecution of Christians is at its highest point in three decades, according to the latest report from advocacy group Open Doors. The World Watch List, released by Open Doors on January 18, reported that, overall, the number of Christians facing persecution worldwide remained steady in 2022 at approximately 360 million. In a list of…
Churches can help develop an agreed truth recovery process to address the “legacy of pain” of the troubles, Archbishop Eamon Martin has said. The Primate of All-Ireland made the suggestion during an ecumenical service in St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, held on Sunday January 22. Peace, reconciliation and forgiveness on the island of Ireland “can only…
The archbishop of Paris has banned French Msgr Tony Anatrella, a longtime Vatican consultant on issues of sexuality, from all public ministry and ordered him to a life of prayer after a Vatican investigation into allegations he sexually abused young men he was counselling. Msgr Anatrella, who will be 82 in February, had been a…
A spokesman for Scotland’s Catholic Church has welcomed the British government’s veto of legislation allowing teenagers to change their sex on legal documents via a simple self-declaration, and criticised Scottish politicians’ “obsession with gender politics”. “We didn’t support this bill, and we were against clauses which have now been questioned by the UK government,” said…
The latest statistics from Northern Ireland relating to hospital-based abortion have revealed that there were 53 terminations carried out in HSC hospitals during the period of 2021/22. This was 10 less than the previous year, but still an increase on the figure from 2019/20. The number only relates to procedures carried out on hospital inpatients…
The President of Ireland has led tributes to eminent sociologist and advocate for the travelling community Fr Mícheál MacGréil SJ after his death aged 92. Paying tribute to him, the President Michael D. Higgins said that Fr MacGréil made a “deep impact on the lives of many people”. “Throughout all of his work, Micheál MacGréil…
At the World Economic Forum, Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska and Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop Borys Gudziak of Philadelphia discussed the physical, psychological and emotional trauma of war, forgiveness, and their dreams for Ukraine’s future. The panel discussion with Archbishop Gudziak was hosted by Ukraine House Davos in collaboration with the January 17 “Ukraine Is You”…
At a time when many orders in Ireland are contracting as the vocation crisis bites, the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal opened a new mission house in Drogheda on Saturday. A Mass and blessing of the mission house took place on January 21 and two young Irish women are ready to take up residence in…
Buddhists visit Vatican to meet with Pope Interreligious dialogue can combat climate change by tapping into the “profound richness” of faith traditions to promote a sense of “ecological responsibility” and conversion, Pope Francis said. Welcoming a delegation of Cambodian Buddhists to the Vatican January 19, the Pope called for “dialogue at all levels” to seek…
Young people told to ‘Open hearts to other cultures’ Pope Francis told young people to always “look to the horizon” and open their hearts to other peoples and cultures. In a video message to the 400,000 participants registered for World Youth Day 2023, the Pope encouraged young people not to “put up walls” that close…
Ruadhán Jones