China is poised to enact harsh new controls on religion within days, it has been reported. As The Irish Catholic went to press this week, numerous media outlets warned that new regulations aimed directly at individuals and faith communities are set to be rolled out by Beijing.  The regulations, issued in draft form in September…

Legal firm receives threats in Pakistan blasphemy case A legal firm in Pakistan has received threats for attempting to offer representation for a young boy accused of blasphemy. The Voice group, an NGO led by a Christian lawyer Aneeqa Maria Anthony, has been linked to the case of 16-year-old Nabeel Masih who is accused of blasphemy on the basis of sharing a…

A government department in Turkey has said interfaith dialogue with Christians was the path by which those allegedly behind the July 15 coup laid their plans. In a dossier compiled by the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey, the exiled Islamic cleric Fetullah Gulen, nemesis to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is accused of exploiting interfaith…

“We’re claiming him for Drimnagh” – PP

Synod 2018 details announced The Holy See has announced that the next Synod of Bishops, to take place in October 2018, will focus on “youth, faith, and vocational discernment”. This will be the 15th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops since Blessed Paul VI’s establishment of the institution in 1965. It has been reported that the…

Famed Irish poet Brendan Kennelly has said he prays the Rosary every day and loves the “music of prayer”. Ahead of events to mark his 80th year, Kennelly was the subject of a broad-ranging interview on RTÉ Radio, during which he spoke of his roots in Co. Kerry, his calling as a poet and the…

The Chuch’s aid agency Caritas has launched an emergency appeal for Haiti in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, with a local priest director of the group describing the impact as “catastrophic”. As the record storm travelled north from the already impoverished island nation, Fr Fr Jean-Hervé François of Caritas Haiti said: “There have been deaths…

A ‘Sunday school’ model of catechesis could play a key role in helping parishes raise young people in the Faith, Limerick’s Bishop Brendan Leahy has said. The bishop told The Irish Catholic that while good work has been done in the Irish Church since the introduction five years ago of ‘Share the Good News’, the…

The Islamic militant group Al Shabab has claimed responsibility for an attack in Mandera, Kenya, in which six Christians died. The attack was launched in the early hours of October 6, involving gunmen dressed in Kenyan army uniforms who also threw grenades as they stormed a compound known to house migrant Christian workers. Eyewitnesses said…

A Dublin conference aimed towards doctors and lawyers is to explore the issues of abortion and mental health in a balanced way, organisers say, despite promotional material suggesting that a prominent pro-choice advocate will be the conference’s sole speaker. The November 17 Abortion & Mental Health Conference “will deliver a balanced discussion covering the various…