Burundi’s Catholic bishops have expressed their concern at rising political intolerance in the east African country. “We are worried about the progressive increase of political intolerance which, in different parts of the country, provokes clashes,” the bishops said in a statement at the end of their four-day plenary meeting in the capital, Gitega. Burundian authorities…
A Tipperary priest has urged the government to tackle the country’s current suicide and mental health crisis. In a meeting with mental health minister Jim Daly, Fr Michael Toomey of Clonmel raised serious concerns about the lack of resources in the county to address this epidemic, stressing that the county has had a higher than…
The Irish priest who deals with cases of clerical sex abuse worldwide for the Vatican has described how the work has impacted adversely on him and his colleagues. Fr John Kennedy has headed the discipline section of the Vatican’s Congregations for the Doctrine of the Faith since 2017. He said that the issue of abuse…
The Government has said it is investigating a hospital which is refusing to provide abortions. Four consultant obstetricians at St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny, wrote to GPs in the area to advise that abortion services are not available in the hospital. The letter said it was “decided unanimously that the hospital is not an appropriate location…
Catholic Relief Services is monitoring the health situation in Uganda, following two confirmed deaths from the Ebola virus. “We consider even one case a very serious development,” said Niek De Goeij, Uganda Country Representative for Catholic Relief Services. “But while Ebola is a frightening disease, we’ve seen almost a year of critical preparedness efforts on the part…
A priest in Mexico City has been arrested for murder barely a week after he celebrated a funeral Mass for the victim. Fr Francisco Javier Bautista was arrested on June 19 and was charged with the murder of Hugo Leonardo Avendano Chavez, 29, who had recently graduated with a master’s degree from a Catholic university,…
More than 600 people attended the annual Pro Life Campaign dinner last weekend. The keynote speaker was Elma Walsh, mother of Donal Walsh, who captured the attention of the nation with his brave fight against cancer in 2013. The event took place at the Clayton Hotel in Ballsbridge. It is the fifth annual fund-raising dinner.…
A three-day walk to celebrate the 350th anniversary of St Oliver Plunkett’s appointment to the See of Armagh will take place next month. The pilgrimage walk begins at St Peter’s in Drogheda, the shrine of the relics of St Plunkett, in July 7 at 10.45am and finishes in Armagh’s St Patrick’s Cathedral, with the unveiling…
Archbishop calls for dialogue between US, Iran Amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the US Archdiocese for the Military Services called on President Donald Trump’s administration to seek “sustained dialogue…to de-escalate the current situation that is a danger to both the region and the world”. The archbishop’s call…
The majority of IC readers believe that the Church should consider ordaining men in the Amazon region. Online readers were asked in a Facebook poll: “The Vatican’s synod on the Amazon will consider whether ‘proven men’, who are married, could be ordained priests. Would you support this?” Out of the 494 votes, 304 respondents said…
Colm Fitzpatrick