Carers and families are “terribly distressed” over revelations that people with learning disabilities in UK hospitals have been given do not resuscitate (DNR) orders during the pandemic, an Irish theologian said. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Dr Liam Waldron criticised the “unacceptable” actions of UK hospitals, saying it creates “a hierarchy of worth” and is…
Tensions in relation to the so-called Northern Ireland protocol must be handled with “wise leadership” from politicians with a view to making it work, a Belfast priest has warned. Fr Martin Magill PP told The Irish Catholic that although the vast majority of his West Belfast parishioners and himself would have been against Brexit there’s…
The Cross and Passion Sisters, who founded a well-known school in Ballycastle, will be “greatly missed” by the community after they decided to close their convent in the Antrim parish. The decision was a “natural progression” for the sisters, who had not been involved in the school for several years, explained Sr Margaret Rose, former…
The pandemic has given many people the opportunity to reflect and think about the meaning of their lives which is a perfect jumping off point for the Lenten period, according to a Cork-based presentation sister. Former Provincial Sr Sheila Kelleher said: “I have heard people say that despite the difficulty of lockdown it has benefited…
Mary Immaculate College (MIC) will lead a global initiative with the aim of making a “decisive contribution to the repositioning of Catholic education in Ireland” and globally, said one of the project leaders. The Global Researchers in Catholic Education (GRACE) project will enable a new generation of Catholic educators at MIC to connect with top-level…
In parts of Africa, mass vaccination against Covid-19 is so far off that it is not even mentioned, warned bishops across the African continent. The malnourished people in the Nuba Mountains, South Sudan are “moving skeletons,” and their compromised immune systems expose them “to all kinds of diseases, not just Covid-19,” Bishop Macram Max Gassis,…
The Cistercians at Mount St Joseph, Roscrea, are going green, having traded in their two diesel cars for a new, zero emissions electric car. Dom Malachy Thompson told The Irish Catholic that it’s a small part of a campus wide “environmental ethos”. “When I was appointed superior, I felt that we needed a campus wide…
Peadar Tóibín, Meath TD and Aontú leader, said it was an “amazing boost” to see the party polling so well, putting it down to a strong grassroots membership. Aontú achieved their highest poll rating so far at the weekend. They have reached 4.1% according to the Toghann Éire (Ireland Elects), putting them ahead of People…
A Catholic missionary priest in Madagascar known for serving the poor living on a landfill has been nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. Madagascar Fr Pedro Opeka, 72, is a Vincentian priest from Argentina who has worked with the poor in Madagascar for more than three decades. He founded the Akamasoa humanitarian association in…
Bishop Kevin Doran has called for the Government to allow 25 people to attend funerals, rather than the current ten. In his homily last Sunday, the Bishop of Elphin homed in on the “inclusive” nature of Christ’s mission, and said that the families of those whose loved ones have died have been at risk of…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady