Renata Steffens and Chai Brady St Oliver Plunkett has been described as “unparalleled when it came to forgiveness and forgiving” by the Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin, as the 400th anniversary of the martyred saint’s birth approaches. It is also 50 years since his canonisation. Archbishop Martin hailed the saint in his homily during Mass at…
In one of his last acts, Pope Francis conferred the Order of Saint Gregory the Great award on Martin and Carmel Naughton, the Association of Papal Orders in Ireland has announced. The formal conferral of the papal honours will take place in late August at a Mass and ceremony in Dublin by the Bishop of…
The Church must do more to promote Catholic weddings, says the Bishop of Kerry, after recent figures showed a further decline in the number of couples choosing to marry in a Catholic ceremony. Last weekend, Bishop Ray Browne noted that less than half of weddings in his diocese now take place in a church. The…
By Luca Attanasio Sr Rose Pacatte, FSP, is a renowned expert in media literacy, film criticism, and authorship. Born in the United States, she entered the Daughters of St Paul in 1967 and has been a member of the congregation for over five decades. She holds an M.Ed. in Media Studies from the University…
By Dr Christopher Kwan Hoong Ng Newly minted Pope Leo XIV has identified artificial intelligence (AI) as one of the most critical matters facing us. After taking the helm of the Catholic Church, the new Pope laid out the vision of his papacy: “In our own day, the Church offers everyone the treasury of its…
On June 26, 2025, Pope Leo XIV visited the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Synod in Rome, where he presided over an afternoon session of the XVI Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops. The Pope, who serves as the council’s president, met with bishops and lay members to discuss the ongoing implementation…
Catholic women religious and 20 US bishops have joined an interfaith coalition opposing President Donald Trump’s proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” calling it a “moral failure” that would deepen poverty and harm the vulnerable. On June 25, more than 60 congregations of women religious protested outside the US Capitol under the banner “Sisters Speak Out,”…
Bro. Kevin Crowley, known for his work ministering to Dublin’s homeless by founding the Capuchin Day Centre, passed away at the age of 90. His lifelong commitment to the poor made him a beloved figure in Dublin and beyond. Through the Capuchin Day Centre, which he founded in 1969 on Bow Street, he touched the…
Scandal in Seville? The restoration of the Madonna “Macarena” outrages believers. Instead of care, the figure of the Virgin Mary was given make-up and eyelashes. Now Spain is debating. There is a great deal of excitement in Seville: the appearance of the famous statue of the Virgin de la Esperanza Macarena is causing heated discussions.…
A future papal visit to Ireland could include a long-awaited stop in Northern Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin has said — pointing to 2032, the 16th century of St Patrick coming to Ireland as a “really hopeful year” to welcome Pope Leo XIV. Speaking exclusively to The Irish Catholic, the Archbishop of Armagh revealed 2032 would…
Chai Brady