Pope Francis has concluded the Year of Mercy with a call on the Church and faithful to “identify and practise” new works of mercy. In an act mirrored in churches around the world last Sunday, the Pontiff closed the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica to officially end the jubilee year, and reminded pilgrims in…

Irish aid agency Trócaire has been nominated for the 2017 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize for its work in developing nations worldwide. The world’s largest humanitarian award, at $2million, the prize is is offered towards programme work engaged in by the winning organisation, nominated through an open process, and would act as a major boost…

The McArthur family, owners of Ashers Bakery in Norther Ireland is considering further legal steps in its case against a discrimination finding in the so-called ‘gay cake row’. Lawyers for the family have reportedly written to the Court of Appeal in Belfast for clarification on a path towards an appeal against the earlier ruling to…

A campaigning Northern Ireland priest, most recently known for his public arguments against a hard border in the wake of Britain’s ‘Brexit’ vote, has suffered a serious vandal attack on his home in Co. Fermanagh. The parochial house of Fr Joe McVeigh in Lisbellaw, in the parish of Enniskillen, was targeted on November 13 in…

Staff Reporter Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin has challenged the faithful to “find a language” in their faith towards engaging with the pluralist world and contributing Christian values to it. Delivering a sermon at an ecumenical evensong in Christ Church Cathedral, Dr Martin considered the question of “how faith [can] contribute to the process of…

Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has been named an honorary fellow of Griffith College because of his “outstanding contribution, at home and abroad, to Ireland’s moral ethos”. The honour is given each year to men and women who are viewed as role models for Irish youth. Accepting the honour, Dr Martin praised the values of ordinary…

The Catholic bishops of the United States have called for calm amid ongoing, sometimes violent, protests against the victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential race. With no sign of a halt to mass demonstrations in cities across the country, bishops have begun to issue individual messages appealing for citizens to pull back from…

Syrian prelate thanks God for survival in gun attack The Syrian Orthodox Vicar of Aleppo has thanked God for his survival during a gun attack as he travelled by car in the country. Msgr Raban Boutros Kassis was struck by two bullets in his shoulder as his car came under attack on the road between…

The ordination of Fr Peter Ding Lingbin as Bishop of Changzhi has taken place in China. The November 10 event, approved by the Holy See, was attended by at least 2,000 faithful, including numerous priests and nuns who travelled from neighbouring dioceses to attend the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Changzhi is home to some…

Clare priest celebrates president elect’s ‘pro-life’ values