A priest’s decision to allow the Muslim call to prayer to feature during a Mass in Mayo was “misguided”, according to an expert on the Church in the Arab world. Fr Stephen Farragher of Ballyhaunis Parish organised for members of the Muslim community in Ballyhaunis to say the final prayer at 10am morning Mass last…
One of the Church’s most senior members has walked free from prison in Australia after the country’s High Court decided to quash his child sex abuse conviction this week. Cardinal George Pell, 78, was acquitted of sexually assaulting two teenage choirboys in the 1990s, allowing him to be released from jail on April 7. The…
More than half of adults in the US say they have prayed for an end to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, according to a new survey. Pew Research Center, who surveyed 11,537 US adults, said that a large number of Americans who pray daily (86%) and US Christians (73%) have taken to prayer during the outbreak.…
The conviction of Australian Cardinal George Pell of sex abuse sent shockwaves across the Church and around the world, but his acquittal by the country’s highest court this week, vindicating the prelate of all convictions, has heightened criticism of how his case was treated The former Vatican treasurer walked free from jail after convictions relating…
A Catholic Bishop in Iraq believes the “Islamist mindset” which persists in the northern part of the country has made Christian refugees “afraid to return” to the region. Despite the fall of the Islamic State in northern Iraq, Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Najeeb Michael Moussa of Mosul says the fear of seeing a “renewed growth of…
Fr Arnie Rosney PP in Shannon has recently launched a creative writing competition that will end on April 19. Fr Rosney has invited people across the island of Ireland to compose a prayer, a reflection, a short story or a poem while they are spending time at home. He asks that the piece reflects the…
Catholics in Pakistan have joined internet rights groups in warning the country’s government that a digital divide will widen inequalities amid the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. In a statement, the Digital Rights Foundation and Bolo Bhi, an organisation engaged in advocacy, policy and research in digital rights, said those most vulnerable to economic and social upheaval…
China continues to place restrictions on religious sites in Hubei despite easing curbs on the province where the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak started. Authorities lifted curbs on the region at the end of March, with its capital Wuhan, the original epicenter of the virus, being eased on April 8. However, the Chinese government has not permitted…
Laois-based priest Fr Paddy Byrne has said that priests must continue to give a message of hope in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. “This will pass,” he said of the Covid-19 crisis. “It’s about getting the message out that there is hope and I am very proud and encouraged by how communities are connecting,…
Pope asks faithful to follow Mother Teresa’s lead in crisis Mother Teresa’s example should inspire us to seek out those whose suffering is hidden during the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis, according to Pope Francis. At the start of his daily Mass, the Pope said he had seen a photo in a newspaper of homeless people sleeping…
Chai Brady