The Church in Rwanda has apologised for the role some clergy played in the 1994 genocide in that country.  In a statement issued by the Rwandan Conference of Catholic Bishops, read out at all parishes, the prelates stated: “We apologise for all the wrongs the Church committed. We apologise on behalf of all Christians for…

Staff reporter While much of the commentary around the Taoiseach’s meeting with Pope Francis on Monday has focused on plans for the Pontiff’s trip to Ireland, discussions were much more wide-ranging – according to the Vatican. Mr Kenny met with the Pope on Monday for 27 minutes in the Pope’s library in the Apostolic Palace.…

Mass-finder App is launched A new app to help the faithful locate the nearest Mass or confession service to them has been launched. A collaboration between Scotland’s Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh and technology company Musemantik, the app uses GPS satellite technology to highlight sites within a given diocese to guide users to Churches…

Bishop Fintan Monahan of Killaloe will join priests of his diocese for this year’s Mercy on the Mall event at Shannon’s Skycourt Shopping Centre on December 8. Now in its second year, and building on the warm reaction from shoppers in 2015, Mercy on the Mall will take place from prime shopping time of 1pm…

More details of the horrendous suffering of Christians at the hands of so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq have been released. World Watch Monitor, which examines anti-Christian persecution worldwide, has reported on cases of torture and crucifixion carried out by members of the terror group. Among testimonies gathered is that of Karlus, a 29-year-old who…

Trócaire has urged TDs to back a bill published on Wednesday, November 30, that would see State investments in the fossil fuel industry banned.  In 2015 the State had approximately €133 million invested in global fossil-fuel companies. The bill, introduced by Thomas Pringle TD, seeks to withdraw that investment and ban future similar investments. Trócaire…

The abortion rate in the US is at its lowest level since before the 1973 Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision to broaden access to terminations, latest figures reveal. In its ‘surveillance report’ to the year 2013, the nation’s Centres for Disease Control (CDC) reveals that 47 states have experienced a 20% drop in terminations…

Experts in religious education have welcomed reports that Government education advisers are scaling back plans for a new primary school curriculum in world religions and ethics.  A report from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), currently with Education Minister Richard Bruton and based upon a public consultation process on the NCCA’s proposals for…

The theme for World Youth Day 2019 in Panama will be “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk. 1:38), the Dicastery for Laity, the Family, and Life has announced.  This means that World Youth from 2017 will have Mary as a central figure for…

The Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop Eamon Martin has urged people to find time in the hectic schedule of shopping and Christmas preparation to pray. As he launched the Irish bishops’ 2016 online Advent calendar (www.catholicbishops.ie) this week, Dr Martin said: “As Advent is the season of preparation for the coming of our Lord, I…