Nigerian priest abducted for ransom found dead The body of Fr John Gbakaan, a Catholic parish priest in Nigeria, was found dead with machete wounds on January 16, a day after armed men kidnapped him and demanded ransom. Fr Gbakaan, the parish priest of the Saint Anthony Church in Gulu in Minna diocese, was kidnapped…
The Archbishop of Armagh said he is “truly sorry” and asked for the forgiveness of survivors following the publication of the research report on Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries in Northern Ireland, on Tuesday, 26 January
After President Joe Biden on his first day in office revoked a travel ban from certain Muslim-majority and African countries, leading US bishops praised the move. “We welcome yesterday’s Proclamation, which will help ensure that those fleeing persecution and seeking refuge or seeking to reunify with family in the United States will not be turned…
Senator Rónán Mullen has proposed a national voluntary collection be organised which would allow individuals and families to contribute to a redress package for pregnant women and children who spent time in mother and baby or county homes. Speaking in the Seanad this week about the Report, Senator Mullen said Judge Murphy’s report painted “a…
The Government has “seen reason” and deferred a controversial levy on candles – which had been called “sneaky” and described as “a tax on prayer” – until at least 2022. The Department of Finance had proposed to withdraw a VAT exemption on the white candles used as votive lamps – a huge source of comfort…
Despite calls to scrap the Angelus the Head of Religious Content at RTÉ has said the majority of the public want to keep it, with most of complaints coming from “secular quarters”. Renewed criticism of RTÉ’s daily Angelus broadcasts surfaced after the findings related to mother and baby homes investigation were published on January 12.…
The MyFaith programme for sacramental preparation has gone from strength to strength despite the lockdown, Dr Dermot Ryan of Ossory Diocese told The Irish Catholic. MyFaith is a programme of sacramental preparation which aims to allow children to work towards the celebration of the sacraments alongside their parents, with the support of their parishes. It’s…
Governments in Asia and Africa have used an “epidemiological cover” to conceal “a quiet humanitarian catastrophe”, Aid to a Church in Need has said. “Regimes which are hostile to the presence of Christians within their lands have used Covid-19 as cover for attacks and for using their proxies to either eliminate or exploit Christian communities,”…
107-year-old Meath woman Nancy Stewart has made it her mission to attend online Masses in each of Ireland’s 32 counties. Attending two or three Masses a day, she’s well underway to accomplishing her goal. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, her granddaughter Louise Coghlan had only praise for the service that most churches are providing, describing…
A Donegal priest has called on people to stop attending wakes, funerals and burials as the Covid-19 guidance is “not sinking in”. Tremendous comfort Fr John Joe Duffy CC of Dunfanaghy/Creeslough parish said that although going to wakes, funeral Masses and burials is a “tremendous comfort”, it is dangerous. “Despite public health pleas, the message…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady