Fr Christopher McDermott pictured with his parents, Sean and Rosemary McDermott and brothers, Sean and Aidan McDermott and his sister Fidelma and her husband Gerard McNamee at his ordination for the Diocese of Derry at St Mary’s Church, Melmount, Strabane, Co. Tyrone. Photo: Stephen Latimer
Category: News
Vatican defends Pope ‘genocide’ comments
The Vatican has stressed that Pope Francis “is on no crusade” following the angry Turkish reaction to his words on genocide during his official visit to Armenia. Visiting the nation between June 24 and 26, Pope Francis chose to address the massacres by Turkey of some 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923. As is…
Ardoyne priest disappointed loyalist camp deal rejected
A priest based in Belfast’s Ardoyne has expressed disappointment at a missed opportunity to broker a deal between the Orange Order and Catholic residents which would have led to the dismantling of a neighbouring Loyalist protest camp. Former Methodist president Rev. Harold Good, who witnessed the decommissioning of IRA weapons in 2005 with Fr Alec…
World News in Brief
Hindu politician attacks Mother Teresa as ‘Christian conspirator’ A member of India’s parliament has denounced the legacy of Mother Teresa as “a conspiracy to Christianise India” during a major Hindu festival. Gorakhpur Yogi Adityanath, a member of the extreme Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a grouping frequently linked to Hindu attacks on minority communities in India, including the anti-Christian pogrom in Orissa in…
News in Brief
Overcrowded prisons criticised The Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice has welcomed the “considerable progress” shown in the Irish Prison Service annual report, which was launched this week, but said “chronic overcrowding” still needs to be addressed. Overcrowding continues in the Dóchas Centre, Cork prison and Limerick men and women’s prison, said Eoin Carroll, Advocacy Officer in the…
US bishops lament health insurance abortion ruling
The US Catholic Bishops have condemned a ruling by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that health plans offered by religious bodies in the state of California are not exempt from the requirement to fund abortions. In a joint statement reacting to the ruling, which was prompted by the bishops’ own appeal against…
Correction and Apology – Msgr Hugh Connolly President, St Patrick’s College Maynooth
In an article carried in The Irish Catholic of June 16, 2016, we reported on the President of St Patrick’s College Maynooth, Msgr Hugh Connolly taking sabbatical leave. The article went on to deal with matters entirely unconnected to Msgr Connolly’s leave including controversial allegations recently made about life in the seminary. Msgr Connolly has…
Education ‘key’ in tackling Ireland’s drink culture
Education remains the key element in tackling Ireland’s binge drinking, a spokesman for the bishops’ body on alcohol awareness has said. Speaking to The Irish Catholic this week following the release of dramatic new figures for Irish people’s annual consumption of alcohol, Darren Butler, national co-ordinator of the Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative said that educating…
Anxious future for North after Brexit vote, warns Primate
‘Nervousness and uncertainty’ over free movement at border
Armagh welcomes new priest
Fr Damien Quigley, who was ordained for the Archdiocese of Armagh by Archbishop Eamon Martin in Holy Redeemer Church, Dundalk on Sunday, pictured with members of his family.