Top academic urges that Pope be faced with ‘nuanced’ reality   As speculation grows that the Pope may visit a former Magdalen laundry during his visit next month, a leading historian of the period has warned that Francis should hear the complex reality of the homes rather than a caricature of the institutions. Government sources…

The curate of a Donegal parish has called for the resignation of Minister Jim Daly over outstanding issues relating to three community hospitals in the county. The situation has remained unresolved for over two years after the Government announced that the long stay bed capacity of three Donegal Community Hospitals – Lifford, Ramelton and St…

A spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Dublin has refused to comment on claims that a priest was removed from his south Dublin parish after telling parishioners who voted for abortion that they should repent. Several users on social media platforms like Facebook have made the claim in relation to Clonskeagh-based Fr James Larkin. When contacted…

The Irish Church must take decisive action to avoid Catholics drifting into “benign indifference”, a leading sociologist has said. The comments come in response to a new survey carried out by Hodder Faith and Home for Good which revealed that British adults aged 18-24 are most likely to agree that being an atheist or non-religious…

Organisers of a key conference on breathing life into Irish parishes hope the visit of Pope Francis can give new energy to a more lay-led vision of Church reform. The two-day conference on the Future of the parish in Ireland is being hosted by the Irish Institute for Pastoral Studies based at MIC St Patrick’s…

MPs risk “crippling devolution” if abortion laws are imposed on the North of Ireland, according to a group of community leaders from the region, a prominent pro-life group has said. At a special event at Westminster on July 18, MPs heard from seven women and political representatives who do not want the current abortion law…

A “shared future” between different religious communities in the North of Ireland is only possible if we “include everybody” Derry’s bishop, Donal McKeown, has said. The comments come in the wake of criticism the bishop received by DUP MP Gregory Campbell, after he spoke about the ongoing sectarian rioting taking place across Derry leading up…

Always carrying rosary beads and showing graciousness in defeat, it makes sense that Croatia’s manager is a man of sincere Catholic faith. Coaching his team all the way to the World Cup final, Zlatko Dalic [pictured] said that his success is due to his Faith in God. “Everything I have done in my life and…