EXCLUSIVE The “window is narrowing” to save Catholic education, and the Church must act now to increase investment and streamline resources by divesting schools to the State according to an in-depth report on Catholic schools in Ireland has warned. Catholic ethos will become “invisible” in schools if the Church doesn’t respond to the “trajectory of…

EXCLUSIVE Dublin airport has done a one-eighty on banning the blessing of planes in news that has “delighted” the chaplain. Last week the airport announced that due to “changes in security protocols” the tradition of blessing planes ‘airside’ would be stopped, causing considerable backlash. However, Fr Des Doyle of Dublin Airport Church, Our Lady Queen…

Social media behemoth Facebook has restricted two of The Irish Catholic’s posts citing they are suspected of breaching ‘hate speech’ and ‘violence and incitement’ community standards respectively. The first post linking an article with the headline ‘Priest will continue blessing planes despite airport ban’, which was published on April 11, was flagged for potentially going…

Dublin diocese has announced the divestment of St Mary’s Primary School, Dorset Street, Dublin 7, which has transferred to secular patronage. As of April 15, St Mary’s will be under the patronage of the Education Training Board (ETB). The primary school was one of 29 schools involved in a pilot consultation process in the diocese…

Ruadhán Jones and Chai Brady There are mixed feelings in the West after Pope Francis announced the effective merger of four dioceses in the archdiocese of Tuam, the largest diocesan shake up in Ireland since 1111AD. The diocese of Killala and Tuam will now be headed by one bishop, Archbishop Francis Duffy, while Bishop Kevin…

An RTÉ Investigates programme on Ireland’s abortion laws made a “total mockery” of public service broadcasting and has left many pro life supporters angry, says the Pro Life Campaign (PLC). The Pro Life Campaign called for a special Oireachtas committee to examine RTÉ’s editorial bias following the “highly partisan” documentary that aired on Monday night.…

A lack of resources is “hindering” synodal outreach to young people, those on the margins and others, a new submission from two Western dioceses has warned. While there is a general desire to be a more welcoming Church, in a new synodal submission, the dioceses of Clonfert and Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora have said a…

Acclaimed Co. Tyrone singer songwriter Malachi Cush has been announced Ambassador for the Northern Region of St Vincent de Paul. Commenting on his new role, Malachi said: “I am deeply honoured to have been chosen as Ambassador for St Vincent de Paul. For so many years, this charity has had a remarkable impact on the…

The latest in a series of recent church burglaries took place in Donegal on Sunday after a man broke into the sacristy of St Eunan’s Cathedral in Letterkenny and is alleged to have stolen €1,754.55 and £6.13 respectively while a funeral Mass was ongoing. The theft forms part of the recent pattern of attacks on…

The Catholic Police Guild of Northern Ireland has highlighted a damning report examining the culture in the PSNI which found that many officers believe there is a two-tier disciplinary system. The ‘audit of organisational culture’, also found there was a perception of “a growing environment of fear” with officers worried about serious consequences for small…