The archdiocese of Berlin announced that it was temporarily suspending the work of its expert commission established to follow up on a legal report about sexual abuse in the archdiocese since 1946. The archdiocese said June 22 that the commission is recommending that findings from the legal firm Redeker Sellner Dahs be reworked or that…
Vatican issues new regulations on public contracts The Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy issued last Tuesday a set of regulations related to new norms for awarding public contracts unveiled by Pope Francis last year. The regulations are contained in a decree signed by Fr Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves, SJ, the Pontifical Delegate and prefect of…
Bishops praise Biden for committing vaccines to needy The president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and the chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace praised President Joe Biden June 23 for his commitment to provide 500 million Covid-19 vaccines to lower-income countries. This was recently matched by the G-7 nations,…
Fr Michael Toomey criticised an “off the cuff” remark from the Tánaiste on June 29, saying the Government “pushed aside” the celebration of Baptisms, Confirmations and Communions
Even the lowliest of sinners can become the greatest of apostles by answering God’s call and allowing his grace to work in their heart and mind, Pope Francis said
The annual Reek Sunday pilgrimage will be going ahead this summer in an extended format. The event, which was cancelled last year due to the pandemic, will be taking place from Wednesday to Saturday, July 1-31. Announcing the news, Fr Charlie McDonnell of Westport said they are “delighted” to offer an extended Reek Sunday pilgrimage…
Attacks on a Carlow Catholic school by politicians, journalists and commentators were “entirely unfair” based on “fake news” and caused teachers “enormous stress” The Irish Catholic has been told. The Press Ombudsman found this week that a report about alleged ‘body shaming’ in Presentation College Carlow by a local newspaper had been entirely false. Local…
The head of the independent watchdog ensuring compliance with child safeguarding procedures has warned that sharp pandemic-related funding cuts make its work “unsustainable”. Teresa Devlin, CEO of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church told The Irish Catholic this week that cuts of 40% in Church funding were stretching the body to…
A Dublin parish has been forced to take down an LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) Pride flag after an order from the archbishop of Dublin. The flag was raised at Ballyfermot Assumption parish after a decision by the parish pastoral council. The aim was to make LGBTQ people feel welcome, and to send a…
Marian Pilgrimages is expecting “hundreds” of Irish pilgrims to return to Medjugorje before the end of the year, as they prepare to resume their charter into Mostar August 25. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Managing Director of Marian Pilgrimages Niall Glynn said that while they only have “very, very small” groups heading to Medjugorje for…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady