Belgian bishops criticise proposed abortion measures Belgium’s Catholic bishops have criticised legislation to liberalise abortion by extending the right to 18 weeks’ gestation with just 48 hours of obligatory reflection. The bishops said the proposed measures would change the meaning of abortion by making it a “normal medical procedure” and that the changes had not…
Claire Fitzpatrick A prominent Catholic journalist praised Pope Francis’ visit to Ireland last year and how he dealt with the sex abuse scandals. There was sharp criticism of some aspects of the Pope’s visit when it came to abuse, including the fact that organisers cast doubt on whether or not he would meet with survivors.…
Exclusive Radical plan will see Masses cut by 1/3 Unveiling a new plan that will see Masses cut in a bid to enliven congregations and enhance liturgy, Bishop Dermot Farrell has said that the vocations crisis is really a crisis of faith that will not be solved by making celibacy optional. Speaking exclusively to The…
The women’s confraternity at Clonard Monastery in west Belfast is to close after more than 120 years. The 122-year-old Belfast association, which drew thousands of members when it was set up in July 1897, will meet for the final time on November 24 with a closing Mass. Fr Peter Burns, Rector of Clonard, said the…
The Bolivian bishops have urged an end to the vandalism that has taken place following the resignation of president Evo Morales on Sunday. Supporters of Morales have clashed with police in several cities. In a November 10 message, the bishops’ conference, along with several civic groups, encouraged “Bolivians to peace and to not commit acts…
Nearly three quarters of Catholics in the US are not opposed to couples cohabiting before marriage, despite the Church’s moral teaching. A new survey by the Pew Research Centre reports that Americans as a whole are very accepting of unmarried couples living together, even if they have no plans to marry. Additionally, Pew found that…
Moves to produce hate crime legislation have been likened to new “secular blasphemy laws”, which threaten freedom of speech, according to a Tipperary TD. Mattie McGrath spoke to The Irish Catholic after he made comments criticising legislation regarding hate speech in the Dáil last week. During a debate on Blasphemy (Abolition of Offences and Related…
One of Brazil’s most traditional samba schools – the popular associations that organise annual Carnival parades in the country – announced that the theme of its 2020 performance would be the story of Jesus taken to a Rio de Janeiro slum. Estacao Primeira de Mangueira also announced its performance song, which alludes to the increasing…
Three fourths of Facebook readers say they would oppose moves to open up the diaconate to women. While Pope Francis is reportedly considering the idea of allowing women to become permanent deacons only 25% of readers in a poll on the IC Facebook page said they would agree. Permanent male deacons are now a feature…
Catholic bishops from the European Union marked 30 years since the breaching of the Berlin Wall with tributes to those who worked for peaceful change, as well as warnings against resurgent “ideologies behind the building of walls”. “The fall of the Berlin Wall was one of the most important events in European history of the…
Chai Brady