One in 23 will need humanitarian assistance in 2023 One person in every 23, a total of 339 million people globally, will require some form of assistance in 2023, Irish charity Concern Worldwide have warned. The last year has been “devastating” for vulnerable and poorer communities around the world, with a 24% increase in the…
As parishes struggle to re-engage communities after the forced closure of churches during Covid-19 lockdowns, Bishop Tom Deenihan has said Christmas is a time to invite people who may have stopped coming back to the weekly worship. His comments come as Church leaders are increasingly concerned with a drop of as much as 50% in…
At a time when people struggle to feed their children and heat their homes, Westminster seems determined to impose “the undermining of the right to life of unborn children” Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin has said. Criticising Britain’s secretary of state for the North, Chris Heaton-Harris’ demand that officials fast-track the funding of abortion, the…
A report by a group of Irish NGOs that identifies Catholic patronage of schools as a barrier to topics such as abortion and gender identity being discussed in schools has been criticised by the Catholic Education Partnership. The report, which was submitted to the Council of Europe, was published on Friday by the Irish Observatory…
Ireland’s largest diocese is the latest to announce a new partnership model for its 197 parishes to realign “efforts and energies to suit the times”, Archbishop Dermot Farrell said. Parishes will now share resources and co-ordinate Mass schedules with designated partners, having been informed of the arrangements last week following months of consultation. Parish pastoral…
Fr Oliver O’Reilly has revealed that he received a phone call warning him of a threat he faced after he spoke out about the attack on former Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney. Fr O’Reilly condemned the kidnapping and torture of Mr Lunney in September 2019 and criticised those responsible for it in a homily…
Staff Reporter A Catholic basketball coach in the US has said the Holy Family is the only royal family he recognises during a recent press conference that has gone viral on social media. In Boston to attend the 2022 Earthshot Prize Awards, Prince and Princess of Wales William and Kate attended the Boston Celtics’ game…
The Ukrainian government said it would sanction members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate. After a December 1 meeting of the National Security and Defence Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the government also would review if the Church met the legal criteria for use of one of the main shrines…
Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Catholic woman who escaped death for alleged blasphemy and who now lives in Canada, has appealed for the protection of victims of blasphemy laws in her home country. She also said her family is struggling in Canada, because the government only supported them for one year, reported ucanews.com. In her first…
A “generous” donation of land by the Dominican Sisters, Cabra, will be developed by Focus Housing to deliver 95 public homes in the North Dublin community. The development wouldn’t have been possible without the “considerable” size of the order’s donation, over 7,300 meters squared of public space for community use just off Rathoat Road. The…
Ruadhán Jones