The beginning of an inquest into the shooting of 10 innocent people during the Ballymurphy Massacre is the “first step on the road to justice” according to campaigners. The inquest began in Belfast on Monday, with relatives of the victims gathering outside the Laganside Court and holding pictures of their loved ones. Ballymurphy parish priest…
Category: News
Limbo was harmful solution to a theological problem, says priest
The teaching of Limbo was a well-meaning attempt to solve a theological problem but caused many mothers to suffer, a leading theologian has said. Prof. Eamonn Conway, a lecturer at Limerick’s Mary Immaculate College, said the theological concept “caused a lot of harm”, and that it was an attempted solution to protect the idea that…
Sligo singer launches charity single for Rwandan appeal
One of Ireland’s most popular singers has launched a charity single for the Christmas market after making a 20,000km round-trip to record it. Multi-award winning Tommy Fleming travelled to Rwanda to record ‘Give A Little Bit’ – the 1977 hit by Supertramp – with local teenagers in support of Irish aid agency Bóthar’s Christmas appeal.…
Survivors decry Vatican making US bishops wait on abuse vote
Following Monday’s shock announcement that the Vatican has requested the US Catholic Bishops to delay voting on new standards for bishop accountability, survivors of sexual abuse and bishop accountability activists decried the move as “totally unacceptable”. Terence McKiernan, co-director of BishopAccountability.org, called the move a “pre-emptive strike” by the Vatican against US bishops as they…
Bishops’ commission calls for protection of workers in light of technological change
Politicians must act to assist workers as technology continues to transform jobs across Europe, said a committee of the European Union bishops’ commission. Work is sustainable only “if it does not harm or destroy the livelihood of others and if it uses generously and equitably the gifts of creation”, said the social affairs commission of…
Charities fight to stop ‘anxious’ refugees being made homeless
Church-based charities are fighting to “ensure” refugees faced with homelessness in a direct provision centre in Dublin find accommodation before time runs out. Clondalkin Towers houses almost 250 people, with 70 of them having received their refugee status. Residents were told in October that the centre’s management company Fazyard Ltd would be closing the facility…
Kick religion from presidential ceremony – IC poll
Almost 70% of respondents on The Irish Catholic Facebook page believe that the Irish presidential inauguration ceremony should no longer have a religious nature and instead become secular. The results come in the wake of a poll which said: “Michael D. Higgins has been inaugurated as the ninth President of Ireland. The event started with…
Direct provision closure will sever community ties – resident
Refugees are “very scared” as they face been uprooted from their community or even being made homeless according to a representative of the centre’s residents. Naima Chaudhry, who is from Pakistan and has spent two years in the asylum process, said that the residents of Clondalkin Towers direct provision centre are fearful of the future,…
Religious images top public stamp choices
Midnight Mass was a top choice among the public when asked for favourite Christmas traditions to feature on this year’s Christmas stamps, according to An Post. Out of six traditions picked by the public through polls and messages shared online, there were “two very strong religious images” according to Anna McHugh, An Post’s head of…
Archbishop: Irish actions in WWI should be impetus for today’s leaders
The Archbishop of Armagh has said the suffering endured by the Irish – Catholic and Protestant – during WWI should act as an impetus for political leaders today to build a just and lasting peace in Northern Ireland. Archbishop Eamon Martin became the first senior Catholic leader to speak at an Armistice Remembrance Service when…
Chai Brady
Colm Fitzpatrick







