Pope Francis would engage in the reconciliation process in Northern Ireland if he visited, as he is not afraid to engage with “real issues” according to the Bishop of Derry. With increasing speculation that the Pope’s planned visit to Ireland may include a visit to the North, Bishop Donal McKeown said it would complete the…

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) has criticised the presenter of The Late Late Show for not showing “sensitivity to the potential for offence” over the ‘haunted bread’ incident. During a panel discussion on the show on January 6 Blindboy Boatclub of The Rubberbandits comedy duo referred to Holy Communion as “haunted bread”, while another…

Oscar-nominated actor Stephen Rea has criticised the ‘crocodile’ comments by the DUP’s Arlene Foster in relation to the Irish Language Act as “an outrage”. The Belfast-born actor said Ms Foster had pushed Northern Ireland back to the time of Lord Brookeborough, the former Northern Ireland Prime Minister known for his anti-Catholic views. The DUP leader…

The World Meeting of Families (WMOF) is an opportunity for the Church to engage with people, such as divorcees, who may feel alienated from “the family that is the Church”. Archbishop Eamon Martin told The Irish Catholic that he hopes the WMOF will reach out and “embrace people in all kinds of family situations”. He…

Images of a jumper with a pro-choice slogan draped over a holy altar in Dublin emerged this week, in a move described as “provocative” and “polarising”. The altar belongs to the Mary Immaculate Church in Inchicore and is in an outdoor grotto. The black jumper has the ‘Repeal’ logo of the pro-choice campaign printed on…

The Primate of All Ireland has said that he is looking forward to the new Irish translation of the missal, which is to be launched later this year. In his homily for the episcopal ordination of Dr Alan McGuckian as the new Bishop of Raphoe, Archbishop Eamon Martin said: “I would be very pleased if…

The Bishop of Elphin has condemned the use of embryos in bio-medical research after US scientists succeeded in editing human genomes to remove mutations like heart disease. Bishop Kevin Doran, chair of the Catholic Bishops’ Consultative Group on Bioethics and Life Questions, said human embryos were, as part of the research, “being deliberately generated under…

Ennis parish raises over €26,000 for famine The church collection in Ennis parish, Co. Clare has raised over €26,000 for Trócaire’s emergency East Africa appeal. Fr Brendan Quinlivan told The Irish Catholic the clergy were “humbled by the generosity of our people”. “It shows a tremendous spirit of solidarity with suffering people particularly in the…

The Church should use next year’s World Meeting of Families to highlight the need for more family-friendly economic models, a leading economist has said. “The World Meeting of Families should be about families in the practical everyday circumstances, the hustle and bustle of what life is for all of us,” UCD’s Prof. Ray Kinsella told…

The oldest Catholic Church in Belfast will be reopening for Mass at the end of August, with renovation work to be fully completed by next month. St Mary’s has been undergoing extensive restorations since May, resulting in the Living Youth building, beside the church in Chapel Lane, becoming the venue for Mass since July 17.…