The actor Andrew Garfield, who stars in the forthcoming Silence has spoken of how he joined his co-stars Liam Neeson and Adam Driver for a seven-day silent retreat before their portrayals of Jesuits in the Martin Scorcese film of Christianity’s beginnings in 17th-Century Japan. “If I’d had 10 years, it wouldn’t have been enough to…

French government proposals to outlaw what have been termed “intimidating” and “misleading” anti-abortion websites passed a legislative hurdle on December 1 when the National Assembly voted to pass curbing legislation in this area. Amid a fraught parliamentary session, marked by heckling across the chamber, the Assembly cleared the way for its Bill on the issue…

The Catholic Church needs to speak up for Northern Ireland’s unborn children ahead of the biggest threat they have faced in years, a leading campaigner has said. “We’re very hopeful that the Church will make a public statement in regard to this latest threat to Northern Ireland’s unborn children,” Precious Life founder Bernadette Smyth told…

The Society of St Vincent de Paul expects to help 140,000 people in need over the Christmas season, it has revealed. As it undertakes its annual appeal for donations, the society said that despite signs of recovery in areas of the economy, calls to its offices nationwide were still at recession levels and set to…

John Reid Age Action has sharply criticised the State’s intention to repeal the postal price cap “without consultation or discussion”.  Spokesman Justin Moran said: “The price has already increased twice in the last two years and many older people, who prefer to send letters and cards rather than emails, will be disappointed to hear another…

Ireland’s Capuchins have backed down from intimations that a 1916 surrender letter by Patrick Pearse, put forward for sale by auction this week, was improperly removed from the order’s archives. The letter, described by Adams Auctioneers as “the most significant Irish document to be offered for sale”, directed Cmdt Edward Daly, leading the Volunteers’ First…

Staff Reporter Ballyfermot residents who have blocked efforts to begin work on a €12million social housing development are concerned about the lack of resources in the area, according to their parish priest. The housing co-operative Nabco was given permission in 2008 to build the houses at a site owned by Dublin City Council in Ballyfermot’s…

Members of the Pro Life Campaign outside the Central Bank in Dublin at the launch of the LoveBoth Project to highlight the benefits of Ireland’s constitutional protections for the unborn. The project advocates the introduction of more practical supports for families facing unplanned or difficult pregnancies.

The Catholic Church in the Philippines has indicated it may have to cancel services during the Advent and Christmas periods following a bomb attack at a church on the first Sunday of Advent. The blast happened on November 27 at a church in the city of Esperanza, on the island of Mindanao, and appears to…

Norwegian diocese fined for overstating Catholic numbers A Catholic diocese in Norway has been fined for overstating its number of faithful in order to receive a greater amount of state aid. Investigators in Oslo believe that diocesan staff went through telephone directories to locate the names of immigrants whose names suggested a Catholic country as…