An Australian court has found Cardinal George Pell guilty on five charges related to the sexual abuse of two 13-year-old boys; sentencing is expected in early March, but the cardinal’s lawyer already has announced plans to appeal the conviction. The jury’s verdict that Cardinal Pell, shortly after being named archbishop of Melbourne in 1996, sexually…
Junno Arocho Esteves If they are truly serious about fighting clerical sex abuse, bishops must join forces with journalists and not view them as enemies plotting against the Catholic Church, Mexican journalist Valentina Alazraki said. Ms Alazraki, who has covered the Vatican for over four decades, told bishops at the Vatican summit on abuse that journalists…
Ireland’s newest political party has called for the return of the 50/50 recruitment policy in the PSNI, saying the drive to attract Catholics has “reversed”. Currently only one in five Catholics are successful in merit-based competitions and over 80% of officers above superintendent rank are Protestant. This comes as the Ulster Unionists rejected calls for…
A popular Sydney-based Irish priest has said he has serious doubts about the conviction of Cardinal George Pell for sexual abuse. Fr Brendan Purcell, who has known Cardinal Pell for more than 20 years insisted that there are serious questions about the fairness of the trial in which the cardinal was found guilty of abusing…
Despite an “enormous amount of urgent work” still needed to protect vulnerable children according to some Irish abuse survivors, they feel the Vatican abuse summit was a worthwhile endeavour. Dublin councillor Damian O’Farrell said he felt positive about the openness and honesty of many cardinals as well as the Pope during the four-day meeting which…
Americans have shifted toward a pro-life stance in recent weeks during a period when some states are considering legislation that would legalise abortion up until birth, according to a new poll. The Marist Poll at Marist College conducted in mid-February found that equal numbers of Americans – 47% – identified themselves as pro-life and as…
The ransacking of a historic Church of Ireland church crypt is a “desecration” and an “attack on Christian communities”, a prominent inner-city priest has said. The raid on the crypt of St Michan’s Church on Dublin’s Church Street was discovered at 1pm on Monday, February 25, when a tour guide was preparing to open the…
A local authority is remaining tight-lipped after a blasphemous video it funded and originally defended was apparently removed from a popular media-sharing website this week. Tipperary County Council confirmed to The Irish Catholic that it gave a local artist what it described as a “small grant” to develop the project which depicted the title character ‘Bootleg Jesus’…
Catholic schools have a responsibility to empower pupils with the confidence to get involved in climate action, according to a Dublin teacher involved in an upcoming ‘climate strike’. Thousands of children across Ireland will be skipping school on Friday, March 15, as part of a global day of action pressuring governments to act against climate…
Filmmakers of a new movie which depicts the reality of abortion in America have expressed outrage over the decision that it be R-rated. Anti-abortion movie, Unplanned, which is set for a March 29 release received an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). This would be the first R-rated movie from distributor Pure…
Chai Brady
Colm Fitzpatrick
Greg Daly