Category: News

Florist celebrates court ruling in same-sex wedding case

Religious liberty advocates were pleased with the US Supreme Court’s order to send Arlene’s Flowers vs State of Washington and Arlene’s Flowers vs Ingersoll back to the lower court for review. Barronelle Stutzman, the owner of Arlene’s Flowers in Richland, Washington, declined a customer’s request to make custom floral arrangements for a same-sex wedding. She…

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Davis 
Clark   A prominent Irish Columban missionary has denounced priests who arm themselves, saying clerics should not be “ready to kill”. Almost 200 Catholic priests have applied for gun permits in the Philippines this year against a background of a series of clergymen being murdered. The murders have led the Philippine National Police to categorise…

Duterte called to meet bishops in person as Church-state talks imminent

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte should talk with the country’s religious leaders in person and not use representatives, according to a senior Church official. Fr Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the public affairs committee of the Catholic bishops’ conference, said “actual dialogue” with the president would be better. Early this week, Duterte named a four-man team to…

Nicaragua pastoral centre stormed by gang

The pastoral centre of the Diocese of Matagalpa in central Nicaragua, whose bishop was in Rome to inform the Pope of the situation in his country, has been attacked by men armed with machetes. The attack occurred last week after two months of protests against Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega which have resulted in violence and…

New DP policy is ‘small step’

Asylum seekers need to be properly integrated into society, both at a “psychological and emotional  level” a Dublin-based priest has said. The comments come after new Government policy will allow asylum seekers in Direct Provision to work with greater ease and seek their own accommodation. It is understood that around 3,000 people will be eligible…

DUP leader needs to challenge religious discrimination

The leader of the DUP must put her words into action in relation to religious sectarianism, or she is simply making “empty gestures”, a Belfast-based priest has said. Fr Gary Donegan C.P., nationally renowned for his ongoing commitment to conflict resolution and peace building in the North of Ireland, said that Arlene Foster needs to…