Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Vatican News reported. While the Vatican press office issued no statement regarding Cardinal Parolin’s September 22 meeting, the Russian foreign ministry tweeted a video of the two officials shaking hands and exchanging…
Chai Brady, Ruadhán Jones and Jason Osborne Catholic schools have welcomed moves in the budget to ease the cost-of-living crisis. The Government announced on Tuesday that schoolbooks will now be provided by the State at a cost of €43m which is expected to save families €100 per child. There is also more funding for special…
The dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua has expelled the Religious Sisters of the Cross, thus continuing its attacks against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. “Today, victims of the harassment and threats of the dictatorship, the Religious Sisters of the Cross (founded in Mexico) who had been in Matagalpa for years doing spiritual work…
The Knights of Columbanus launched their inaugural Ladies of Faith & Courage Awards in Ely House, Dublin on Saturday September 24, with four “exceptional” women of faith and courage receiving awards. Supreme Knight Brendan McCann said that at the heart of the initiative “the Knights wanted to honour exceptional women of Faith and Courage who…
In the aftermath of the fire that gutted a church in Cameroon, Bishop Aloysius Fondong of the Diocese of Mamfé entered the ruins to retrieve the Blessed Sacrament and found the sacred Hosts and the ciborium containing them to be intact. On the night of September 16, armed men set fire to St Mary’s church…
Strong education key to ‘better world,’ cardinal tells UN summit During a UN education summit, the Vatican’s secretary of state reiterated Pope Francis’ pre-pandemic call that education is “one of the most effective ways of making our work and history more human”. Addressing the final day of the Transforming Education Summit September 19, Cardinal Pietro…
A large crowd turned out for the launch of veteran Irish journalist Mary Kenny’s new book, The Way We Were: Centenary Essays on Catholic Ireland. Sabina Coyne Higgins, long-time friend of Ms Kenny and wife of the President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins, launched the book in the United Arts Club, Dublin on Wednesday September…
In open defiance of the Vatican, Catholic bishops in Belgium September 20 announced the introduction of blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples in their dioceses. The bishops of Flanders also published a liturgy for the celebration of homosexual unions. “In doing so, they are going directly against the Vatican,” reported Nederlands Dagblad. The Vatican published an official clarification in March…
Fr Ronan Sheehan (27) celebrated his first Masses in his native parish of Murragh and Templemartin, Co. Cork, on Monday September 19. A large crowd attended the celebration, which occurs as the parish marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of St John the Baptist Church, Newcestown. Fr Sheehan also celebrated Mass Tuesday, September 20,…
Young people from across the Archdiocese of Armagh gathered with their families and award leaders to receive their Pope John Paul II and Muiredach Cross award, September 15. The ceremony held in St Patrick’s Cathedral, Armagh, was the first since 2019. The diocese said in a statement that the “recipients are to be commended as…
Ruadhán Jones