Former Minister Lucinda Creighton has warned that pro-choice campaigners are trying to frame the debate around abortion to exclude talk about the unborn child who loses his or her life as a result of a termination. She also dismissed media claims that politicians who support abortion are ‘brave’ and criticised TDs and Senators who sacrifice…
Month: January 2018
Top Church abuse investigator to examine Barros allegations
Pope Francis is sending the Church’s leading abuse investigator to Chile in order to look into accusations that a bishop covered up crimes against children. The Pontiff has asked Malta’s Archbishop Charles Scicluna to go to the country on behalf of the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith, to listen to those who say they…
Priest pleads for an end to violence at Derek Hutch funeral
Hatred and violence must find no shelter amongst communities, the priest at the funeral of murder victim Derek Hutch has warned. Mr Hutch (27) was shot dead while he was sitting alone in a car at Bridgeview halting site in Ronanstown, west Dublin on Saturday January 20. He became the 14th victim of what Gardaí…
Bridging the gaps in our lives with Catholic education
Catholic education offers a way of bridging religious and secular ways of looking at the world, Killaloe’s Bishop Fintan Monahan has said. Speaking in St Flannan’s College, Ennis, this week, Bishop Monahan launched Catholic Schools Week by calling to mind the motto of Cistercian College, Roscrea, which can be loosely translated, he said, as “while…
German hierarchy resists temptation to change Our Father translation
The German bishops’ conference has decided to stick with traditional translations of the Lord’s Prayer. The decision comes after the French bishops decided that beginning early December last year, French Catholics would change the line, “Lead us not into temptation,” to the equivalent of “do not let us enter into temptation.” The common Spanish translation…
Preaching should ‘slap’ us – Francis
True preaching is a ‘slap’, something startling and challenging, rather than comforting and reassuring, Pope Francis said in this morning’s homily at Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican. Noting that St Paul did not soften his proclamation of the Faith with half-truths, the Pope said that preaching “cannot be lukewarm”. “Preaching always – let me…
Dáil gives pubs the green light to open on Good Friday
Irish pubs will now be allowed to serve alcohol on Good Friday after the Dáil voted today (Thursday) to lift the ban leaving some campaigners wondering how long the law forcing pubs to close on Christmas Day will remain. The ban will be lifted before Good Friday, which this year falls on March 30. Minister…
Ousted UCD president urges pro-life students to ‘stay strong’
Katie Ascough has urged students with pro-life views to “stay strong” and “to follow the courage of their convictions” after receiving an award for her actions as UCD students’ union president. Ms Ascough, who was impeached for ordering the reprint of a magazine that contained illegal abortion information, said that although it may be difficult…
World Meeting of Families catechesis to be available online
Carol Glatz To help parishes, groups, individuals and families better prepare for the World Meeting of Families, Vatican organizers are releasing a multimedia series of catechetical materials in five languages online. The Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life announced that starting February 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, it would…
Bishop Fintan Monahan speaks about the theme of Catholic Schools Week 2018
With the theme of Catholic Schools Week 2018 (CSW18) being ‘Catholic Schools: Families of Faith’, Bishop Fintan Monahan speaks about the connection between the upcoming World Meeting of Families and the four themes of the one-year catechetical programme for Catholic primary and secondary schools set up by the Catholic Schools Week Steering Committee. CSW18 was…