Organisers of this August’s World Meeting of Families (WMOF) are confident that they have robust mechanisms in place to prevent efforts to sabotage attendance at the gathering’s two final papal events. A Facebook page protesting against Pope Francis’ visit is encouraging people to book but not use large numbers of free tickets to ensure a…
A parish priest who anointed injured mourners immediately after they were struck by a car driven by a visiting priest has called for prayer for those recovering. Several people were injured, some severely, in the incident which occurred at about 10.20am on Monday at Mary Immaculate Church in Clondalkin, Co. Dublin. People were gathered from…
A leading theologian in the forefront of calling for liberal reforms in the Church has criticised what he has described as “incendiary” remarks by former president Mary McAleese. US-based Prof. Massimo Faggioli, an expert on Vatican II, said Mrs McAleese’s comments that infant baptism breaches human rights are unhelpful. “Making incendiary remarks has usually the…
There has been huge demand for tickets to participate at events with Pope Francis with tickets for Knock being snapped up in just over four hours. Organisers of the World Meeting of Families confirmed that the Dublin-based pastoral congress is also booked out with some 37,000 pilgrims registered from 114 countries. As of lunchtime on…
Speculation that homeless families would be moved out of temporary accommodation in Dublin hotels around the time of the papal visit highlights the scandal of families having to live in such condition, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has said. “Archbishop Martin says that the fact that large numbers of people have to be accommodated in hotels in…
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, said last week he will no longer exercise any public ministry “in obedience” to the Vatican after an allegation he abused a teenager 47 years ago was found credible. Bishop James Checchio of Metuchen, New Jersey, where Cardinal McCarrick served as its first bishop, said in a statement…
A Vatican court has found Msgr Carlo Alberto Capella, a former staff member at the Vatican nunciature in Washington, guilty of possessing and distributing child pornography. Judge Giuseppe Della Torre, head of the tribunal of the Vatican City State sentenced Msgr Capella to five years in prison and fined him €5,000. The Vatican press office…
The British government needs to be held more accountable for the killing of Catholic nationalists during the Troubles if there is going to be “any kind of closure”, a prominent Northern Irish priest has said. Fermanagh priest and well-known civil rights advocate, Fr Joe McVeigh, said that there have been “many killings by the security…
Matthew Carlson A prominent pro-life group has said that the ‘Rally for Life’ in Belfast will show the world that support for protecting unborn children “remains strong” in Ireland. Organisers of the rally, which is taking place by the Stormont Parliament Buildings on July 7 at 2pm, said that despite the ‘Yes’ vote in the…
The question of allowing Protestants married to Catholics to receive Communion at Mass in special cases has to be decided by each individual bishop and cannot be decided by a bishops’ conference, Pope Francis told reporters after a one-day ecumenical journey to Geneva. During an inflight news conference the Pope was asked about his recent…
Greg Daly
Chai Brady
Colm Fitzpatrick