Chai Brady and Ruadhán Jones Thousands of pilgrims have flocked to Bethlehem to visit the birthplace of Christ to celebrate Christmas for the first time post-Covid after pandemic restrictions meant the holy city was enveloped in silence during the normally festive period. Pilgrims have travelled from all over the world to venerate the spot where…
Ireland’s bishops have offered their sympathy following the killing of an Irish UN peacekeeper in Lebanon last week. On behalf of the Irish bishops’ conference, Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh and Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin said it was a “tragic event”. It is the first time in more than 20 years an Irish soldier…
Sending Christmas cards is associated with better mental health, especially among Christians, a study from the University of Limerick has shown. The study found that depressed people were less likely to send Christmas cards than non-depressed people. Sending Christmas cards is “more than just the exchange of pleasantries and good wishes over the festive season”,…
Following Pope Francis call to release prisoners on Christmas the Department of Justice said Irish prisons are committed to treating “everyone with dignity and respect”. The Pope asked governments around the world – including Ireland – last week to give prisoners “a gesture of clemency” as communities prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus. He…
Churches in the North have been invited to apply for a relief scheme aimed at combatting the energy crisis. The North’s Department for the Economy told The Irish Catholic that churches are eligible for the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, along with businesses, voluntary and public sector organisations. “The Energy Bill Relief Scheme is being run…
The Catholic population in the United States has grown by about two million people in 10 years. With nearly 62 million people, it continues to constitute the largest religious body in 36 US states, according to the latest religion-focused survey of America’s religious congregations. Over the last decade, many Catholics, the survey found, have moved…
Pro-life advocate in the UK Heidi Crowter has been listed as one of the BBC’s ‘100 women of 2022’, in what was a big year for the 27-year-old. A woman with Down’s syndrome, Ms Crowter has worked in recent years to challenge England’s abortion law which permits abortion up to 24 weeks, but allows unborn…
Canadian Church reflects on Pope’s ‘pilgrimage of penance’ The Canadian bishops have released a reflection on Pope Francis “words of healing and reconciliation” during his ‘penitential pilgrimage’ to Canada last July. The Canadian Conference of Catholic bishops’ message marking the National Day of Prayer in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples, celebrated in Canada on December 12…
The Biden administration may not force Catholic organisations and medical professionals to perform gender-transition surgeries or provide insurance coverage for them, the US Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has said in a recent ruling that cited religious freedom grounds. “The federal government has no business forcing doctors to violate their consciences or perform controversial procedures…
France’s Catholic bishops have set up what they believe to be the world’s first major national church court, replacing a previous network of local tribunals, although sexual abuse cases involving children will still be referred to the Vatican. “As a community of believers, the Church has developed a comprehensive legal system, which includes the right…
Chai Brady
Ruadhán Jones