Places of worship under threat of attack in Northern Ireland were offered reprieve last week as the DUP voiced its support for additional help for these centres of worship. Charity director Tim Martin and policy officer Mark Baille met with First Minister Arlene Foster and other MLAs to discuss CARE NI’s calls for consideration of…
The former Sisters of Mercy convent in Skibbereen which was gutted by a recent fire has been felt as “quite a loss by locals”, according to a respected architectural historian. On Tuesday, September 29, a fire burned through the interior of the convent buildings and chapel, leaving only the stone walls standing. Cork-based architectural historian…
Bishop Kevin Doran has described human rights organisation Amnesty International’s call for universal rights to abortion a “complete contradiction”. The Chairman of the Council for Life’s statement was in response to Amnesty’s announcement of a new abortion policy. The organisation is calling for abortion-on-demand, for any reason, up to birth and to allow sex-selective abortion.…
President Michael D Higgins was one of many who expressed “great sadness” at the Death Sr Mac Curtain, who passed away recently at the age of 91. “I am among the many, in so many parts of Irish society, who will have heard with great sadness of the death of Sr Margaret Mac Curtain, Dominican…
Covid-19 looms large in pre-Budget 2021 submissions, as Irish charities stress the need to support people on the margins at home and abroad. Budget 2021 will be released on Tuesday, October 13, with charities calling for health, housing and climate change to be the priorities. A number of the charities said that Covid-19 has exacerbated…
Maynooth Theologian Neil O’Donoghue has applauded the “love of the liturgy” followers of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, insisting that the Ordinary Form must be studied with the same zeal. However, he also cautioned against “throwing stones at other Catholics who celebrate an approved form of the liturgy”. In an essay for the journal…
Italian media has reported allegations that Cardinal Angelo Becciu transferred several hundred thousand euros from Vatican accounts to an account in Australia during the trial of Cardinal George Pell. The cardinal has not responded to the allegation, which international news outlets have yet to independently corroborate. Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on Friday that…
The people of Newtownstewart in Co. Tyrone completed their annual 40 hours Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which was made continuous due to Covid-19. The church’s choice of the number 40 has a biblical origin. The Old Testament and New Testament describe historic events such as the 40-day flood, the 40 years in the wilderness,…
The tomb of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager who used his computer programming skills to spread devotion to the Eucharist, was opened for veneration before his beatification in Assisi. A statement released by the Diocese of Assisi said the tomb will remain open for veneration until October 17. Venerable Acutis’ beatification Mass will be…
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, has thanked experts from Moneyval – the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism – for helping the Holy See in its efforts to ensure transparency and international cooperation in its financial dealings. The cardinal welcomed the…
Ruadhán Jones
Chai Brady