Fr Ray Kelly says he will not quit RTÉ1’s Dancing With The Stars despite receiving abusive emails, letters and threatening phone calls demanding his departure from the show. The Co Meath priest, 66, has been the subject of a hate campaign for his continuing presence on the show, which has made him consider leaving. “I…
First meeting between China and Vatican for 70 years A first meeting between The Holy See and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) since 1951 took place in Germany on February 14. Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States, met with PRC State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi,…
An Irish Benedictine monk is showcasing his huge oil-on-canvas painting of Mary at an exhibition in Canada during the month of February. Emmaus O’Herlihy’s painting of Mary, called Red Magnificat, pictures her as both indigenous and almost young enough to be called a child. His painting is in Toronto’s Regis College as part of an exhibition called…
With the current archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, sending his resignation to Pope Francis on his birthday in just over a month, April 8, The Irish Catholic looks at some likely contenders in the search for a new leader. Bishop of Ossory Dermot Farrell – ‘The Manager’ As a former President of Maynooth College…
The RDS was packed with people of all ages at the weekend for the Divine Mercy Conference. The three-day event is in its 29th year and ran under the theme ‘Deliver us from evil’. This was spoken about extensively by guest speakers which included Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin, Fr…
Catholic Bishop in China overcomes coronavirus A retired priest in China has made a remarkable recovery from the coronavirus just days after being diagnosed with the epidemic. Bishop Joseph Zhu Baoyu of Nanyang, who is 98 years old, fell ill with pneumonia from Covid-19 on February 3. On February 12 he tested negative, but two…
The Pope may have to fast-track a replacement for Archbishop Diarmuid Martin in Dublin or face the prospect of the country’s largest diocese not having a bishop for up to a year, The Irish Catholic understands. Informed sources confirm that Dr Martin – who is due to reach the mandatory age of 75 at which he…
We have moved too far away from traditional fasting says a Glenstal Abbey monk. Fr Fintan Lyons OSB, has said “I feel we have gone too far in avoiding the older practice of fasting from food; in the Church’s tradition it was associated with feasts, the fast before the feast, and based on what the…
Pro-life campaigner Katie Ascough has hit back at comments made by the President of University College Dublin (UCD) in a Sunday newspaper. Prof. Andrew Deeks spoke about the impeachment of the former Students’ Union president and her claims of discrimination by lecturers due to her religious beliefs in the Sunday Independent article. Ms Ascough, who…
Catholic bishops from around the world are calling on the Cameroon government to hold urgent peace talks with the country’s English-speaking separatists and moderates. Church leaders are urging the country’s president, Paul Biya, to enter into negotiations to find a peaceful settlement that addresses the grievances of the Anglophone community. A Swiss NGO has offered…
Chai Brady