As France begins its second lockdown this year, French bishops are filing an urgent appeal to continue public Masses, arguing that the most recent coronavirus restrictions “violate freedom of worship”. The French bishops’ conference announced Monday night that it would file a “référé liberté” with the Council of State regarding the lockdown decree issued last week. This…
Guatemala’s president has said he will block US abortion provider Planned Parenthood from setting up an office in the country. This week he denounced the group, saying it promoted abortion. “I am a faithful defender of life and I am emphatic in indicating that in my government I will not endorse the creation, registration or…
The Church is stepping up the campaign to put pressure on the Government in the Republic to allow people to attend Mass in a safe and physically-distanced way. Catholics in the North continue to be allowed to attend Mass and a delegation from the hierarchy met with Taoiseach Micheál Martin last week to put the…
Speculation is mounting that Bishop Dermot Farrell may soon be named to replace Diarmuid Martin as the Archbishop of Dublin. Several priests in the Dublin Diocese who have spoken to The Irish Catholic this week said that they believed that Dr Farrell is the frontrunner but cautioned that the confidentiality of the process makes predictions…
French police have arrested six men in their investigation into last Thursday’s attack on the Basilica of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption in Nice. Among those in police custody is a 29-year-old Tunisian man believed to have accompanied the alleged attacker, Brahim Issaoui, from Tunisia to the Italian island of Lampedusa on September 20, Agence France-Presse reported on November…
Priests will not face fines or imprisonment if they celebrate public Mass under Covid-19 regulations the Department of Health has said, amid confusion over new rules. The department told The Irish Catholic the celebration of public Mass is not a penal offence, despite Regulation 8 of restrictions introduced to the Health Act 1947 on October…
A Catholic schools’ representative body has welcomed the HSE’s revamped test and trace system, saying earlier shortcomings were “not acceptable”. From Monday, November 2 on, a revamped Covid-19 testing and tracing system for schools will be led by public health officials and supplemented by department staff, the Minister for Education Norma Foley announced last week.…
In a statement released last weekend, the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales asked the government to produce evidence necessitating a suspension of public worship, as is required by the latest Covid-19 guidance. It was signed by both the President of the bishop’s conference, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, and the Vice-President, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP. They…
Facing protests across the country after a court ruling prohibiting abortion for foetal abnormalities, the Polish president said Friday he would propose a bill permitting abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality. Andrzej Duda said October 30 he would introduce a bill to allow abortion “when prenatal tests or other medical indications show a high…
Aontù leader Peadar Tóibín has called for an “urgent inquiry” following a “huge increase” in homeless deaths this year. 50 homeless people have died this year, compared with 34 and 35 in the last two years according to figures from Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE). This is despite more than 1,500 people exiting homelessness this…
Chai Brady
Ruadhán Jones