A federal high court in Nigeria has restrained authorities in the country’s Kano state and the Islamic religious police, known as Hisbah, from arresting a 22-year-old woman because she converted from Islam to Christianity and rejected a forced marriage. In its May 26 ruling, the court described the actions taken against the woman, identified by…
A joint letter from UN human rights experts warning Nigerian officials of the heightened risk of violence against Christian women and girls in the country has been made public after the government failed to respond within 60 days. The June 1 letter cited attacks against Christian women and girls in northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt…
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is calling for “compassion, simplicity, and access to care” to be reflected in the final rule that enforces work requirements for people who receive Medicaid benefits. The USCCB — along with the Catholic Health Association and Catholic Charities USA — sent a joint letter to the Centres for Medicare &…
Representatives of Venezuela’s 2015 National Assembly — recognised by the Trump administration as the last democratically elected authority in the country — along with representatives of interim President Delcy Rodríguez’s government announced the first agreements reached during their negotiations last week. The process is being overseen by the United States government, with the primary objectives…
Tributes have been paid to Augustinian priest and biblical scholar Fr Kieran O’Mahony OSA, who died peacefully at Our Lady’s Hospice, Harold’s Cross, on August 18. Fr O’Mahony was widely known for his work in Scripture and for helping Catholics engage more deeply with the Bible through teaching, preaching and writing. Only weeks before his…
The newly appointed Bishop of Derry has appealed to Irish Catholics to rediscover Knock Shrine and the joys of pilgrimage. Speaking as the annual Knock Novena begins on August 13, Bishop Michael Router spoke of the importance of the Co. Mayo shrine for the Irish people. “Sometimes,” said Bishop Michael Router, “we don’t find it…
In the heart of a city long scarred by division, the pipes and fiddles of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann sounded a note of quiet triumph at the weekend. For the first time, Belfast hosted the world’s largest celebration of Irish traditional music, song, dance and language – drawing more than a million visitors. That this…
A centenary recreation of Waterford’s historic March of the Black Friars is an opportunity to “re-engage” with the city’s Catholic history rather than simply look back nostalgically, a local historian has said. The procession on August 16 will recall the 1926 march which drew around 5,000 people to mark 700 years since the arrival of…
In a recent visit to the archbishop’s residence in Armagh, Emma Redmond, Head of OpenAI Ireland, gathered with Archbishop Eamon Martin to discuss the Pope’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. Ms Redmond was accompanied by Derek Nolan, Policy and Partnerships Lead for Ireland and the Nordics at OpenAI Ireland. The group discussed the encyclical letter “at this…
Knock Shrine is preparing to expand its role as a centre for retreats and faith formation as religious-run retreat houses continue to close across Ireland, its rector has said. Fr Richard Gibbons PP said the shrine is planning decades ahead as it considers how its facilities can respond to the changing needs of the Irish…
Martina Purdy
Renata Steffens