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…
While many priests and religious are in the frontline comforting and consoling those suffering from coronavirus and their loved ones, an Irish Dominican friar who is a trained doctor is back treating patients with Covid-19. Bro. Chris Gault OP, who has been studying for the priesthood with the Dominicans, has returned to his native Belfast…
The founding fathers of the Catholic Faith in Australia were honoured by the Sydney Archdiocese via live-stream Mass last weekend. The Mass took place on Sunday, May 3 at Saint Mary’s Cathedral and marked the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the country’s first sanctioned priests – Irish-born Fr John Joseph Therry and Fr Philip…
Priests in Mexico have been threatened with death by phone calls from alleged members of the Jalisco Nueva Generacion Cartel (CJNG), according to local media reports. The diocese of San Cristobal de las Casas informed authorities last week that Fr Marcelo Perez, his family and members of the Parochial Council of San Antonio of Padua…
Cavan-based Fr Martin Gilcreest has said that housebound parishioners are delighted that he can still make the traditional First Friday contact using the telephone. “This is a generation that Faith is very important to. It’s their foundation, it’s the one thing that keeps them grounded. “The fact that we’re making an effort at all is,…
All public Church activities, including Marian pilgrimages, have been suspended in China until the end of May. The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) and its bishops’ forum, the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China, jointly announced the delay last week. This measure “aims to avoid gatherings as part of measures to check the…
Bishop Brendan Leahy [pictured] has said the pandemic has become a time for great personal reflection in his address after midday Mass on Sunday at St John’s Cathedral. He said one thing we have learned is that time is valuable and that we often complain of it disappearing in our modern world. “Suddenly, with the…