Archbishop Eamon Martin has said he believes that people are growing closer to God during the coronavirus pandemic. In his Sunday homily, the Primate of All-Ireland also said that parishes were working on roadmaps to return to public Masses as soon as it is safe to do so. Archbishop Eamon said that he is “sure…
The Vatican has given approval to the Religious Sisters of Charity to gift the State lands valued at some €200 million. The move is likely to prove controversial since the land will house the new National Maternity Hospital where unborn babies will be aborted. Moral theologians have previously raised alarm bells about the nuns’ plans…
Editorial Comment It is almost two months since most Irish Catholics have been able to attend Mass. This is an unprecedented situation even in a land where the public worship of God by Catholics was forbidden and punishable by death. Churches in the North remain closed by order of the civil authorities, while according…
A student who lost his job last month is now delivering food to families in need six days a week on his bike. Oscar Little (21) volunteers his services to the Capuchin Day Centre in Dublin, where he drops food to hostels for the homeless and families isolating in their homes. “My mum is the…
The Archdiocese of Armagh has begun a ‘virtual pilgrimage’ to Lourdes today to reach out to the 550 of pilgrims due to travel there this week but due to the coronavirus pandemic the pilgrimage was cancelled. Organisers have instead decided to conduct it virtually using social media channels. This will be available to watch through…
A Dublin priest who has been offering ‘carpark Confessions’ has said there has been a great response with dozens of people coming to receive the Sacrament. Fr Pat McKinley of Springfield/Brookfield/Jobstown parish, who is the Vicar Forane over Tallaght Deanery, has been offering Confessions in the car park of St Mark’s church with another priest…
Religious leaders of different faiths and inter-religious organisations in the Indian state of Andra Pradesh have united and tightened a collaboration agreement to help contain the spread of Covid-19. In a joint declaration, the groups say they “want to play a constructive role for the common good by uniting people of all faiths”. Christian, Hindu,…
Social justice campaigner Sr Stanislaus Kennedy has said it is “incredibly distressing” to learn of an increase in racist incidents across Ireland this year. The Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) has just released figures on racist incident reporting on hate speech, hate crime and discriminatory acts in the first quarter of 2020. Their statistics for…
The Holy See says a Vatican judge has formally closed an investigation on missing Italian teenager, Emanuela Orlandi, which was opened last year. The investigation authorised the opening of two tombs in the cemetery of the Teutonic College, which sits on Vatican-owned property, at the request of the family of the girl who disappeared in…
Independent NUI Senator Rónan Mullen has accused the national broadcaster of editorialising around ethics. A report on RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland on Tuesday referred to controversial academic Peter Singer as a “world-renowned ethicist”. Reacting on social media, Senator Mullen described this as “editorialising”. “Some of his views (e.g. on people with disability) are controversial…
Michael Kelly
Chai Brady