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…
Pro-life ‘feedback meetings’ being held A leading pro-life group will be running ‘feedback meetings’ to listen to ideas and strategies that will go towards helping to protect Ireland’s unborn children and their mothers following the repeal of the Eighth Amendment. LoveBoth, who have been instrumental in the Irish pro-life movement, are running surveys to hear peoples’ thoughts on how…
Matthew Carlson A documentary following Pope Francis is set to release just days before the Pope’s visit to Dublin in August. Pope Francis: A Man of His Word will focus on the Pope’s thoughts and views on social issues facing society instead of a biographical documentary about the Pope’s life and rise through the Church.…
Vocations depend on community – bishop It takes more than a family to help someone discern a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, but also a “whole parish and many more”, Kildare and Leighlin’s bishop has said. Speaking at the Basilica of Our Lady of Knock on June 23, Dr Denis Nulty said: “Mother Teresa didn’t become Mother Teresa…
Greg Daly
Colm Fitzpatrick