A leading charity offering support to children affected by sexual abuse has said that national apologies for past practices “ring hollow when children continue to be abused by an inadequate system”. Children at Risk in Ireland (CARI) said that a lack of services nationally was leaving children struggling to cope unsupported and that children as…

The same-sex marriage referendum result was “a defeat” that highlights a gap between the Church and modern society, the Vatican daily newspaper has said. “The margin between the ‘yes’ and the ‘no’ votes was too large not to be accepted as a defeat. It was the result of high voter turnout, notably among young people,”…

Prince Charles and Fr Michael Sheehan leave St Patrick's Church in Donegall Street, Belfast after a short ecumenical service. The prince’s visit to the embattled church, which has been the scene of sectarian behaviour by loyal order marchers in recent years, was seen as a highly significant act of solidarity. Photo: Hugh Russell/The Irish News

Staff Reporter A parish consultation process with 140 clubs and active groups in Thurles is due to bear fruit next week with a Corpus Christi procession celebrating diversity. Over the last year the ‘Thurles Parish People & Priests Group’ has met representatives of all the active groups in the Co. Tipperary town, to conduct a…

A round-table conference on evangelisation is to be held in Ballymena. Following on from successful conferences last year, this year’s conference at All Saints Church will be on the theme of ‘Living Faith: Go Proclaim the Gospel’. The conference will be an occasion for people to explore how parishes and faith communities can put their…

A leading religious education expert has said he “remains to be convinced” that a planned change to employment equality law will protect the right of Catholic schools to defend their religious ethos. Theologian Dr John Murray said he was “concerned” by the Minister of State Aodhán Ó Ríordáin’s announcement that he was working hard to…

Six Irish priests concelebrated Mass with Pope Francis in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae in the Vatican on a visit to Rome to celebrate the 55th anniversary of their ordination to the priesthood:Fr Kevin McMullan (Down & Connor diocese), Canon Brian McCluskey (Clogher diocese, living in Belfast), Fr Phil O’Connell (Kerry diocese), Fr Brian…

Staff Reporter Broadcaster Adrian Chiles has spoken of his “enriching experience” attending Mass at a different church every day during Lent. “It felt like it would be a real struggle, a penance. It turned out to be anything but. It was a rich and enriching experience – spiritually, obviously, but I was also enraptured by…

Ethnic tensions are simmering dangerously, writes Paul Keenan