Anticipation and excitement are growing in what is being described as a time of “great celebration for the Catholic faithful” after Pope Francis confirmed his trip to Ireland. The Pontiff stated he will visit Ireland for two days in August for the World Meeting of Families (WMOF). He will take part in the Festival of…
Bishop Jose Ronaldo Ribeiro of Formosa was arrested and charged, along with four diocesan priests, of stealing about €492,000 of diocesan money. Two days after the arrest, Pope Francis appointed Archbishop Paulo Mendes Peixoto of Uberaba to serve as apostolic administrator of the diocese. Prosecutors in the state of Goias allege Bishop Ribeiro and the…
The Life and Times of Daniel Murray: Archbishop of Dublin 1823 – 1852 by Thomas J. Morrissey SJ (Messenger Publications, €27.00) Tom Morrissey’s latest book is one which everyone interested in Irish Church history has long looked for. It was as a pastoral bishop that the great Daniel Murray excelled. It is no exaggeration to claim…
The Pro-Life Campaign and the LoveBoth Project have announced a series of six regional rallies entitled ‘Stand Up For Life’, organised as part of a nationwide grassroots effort to save the Eighth Amendment ahead of the referendum. The ‘Stand Up For Life’ rallies are due to be held from April 2-7. The first regional rally will…
Every society has treated ‘unwanted’ children as a problem, writes David Quinn As with the Magdalene homes, mother and baby homes have developed a strong attachment in the public mind with both Ireland and Catholicism. That is to say, these institutions seem peculiar to Irish Catholicism. This linkage in the public mind is likely…
Aborting a child with a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome is a gross violation of human rights and anti-discriminatory commitments, and can be considered genocide, according to a Vatican spokesperson at a UN panel. “Here at the United Nations there is much sincere talk and normally passionate action to fight against unjust discrimination,” said Archbishop…
Leading child protection campaigner Marie Collins has dismissed reports that she has not been invited to meet Pope Francis during his visit to Ireland this August. The Irish Independent reported the claim on Saturday in an article titled ‘Clerical abuse survivor not invited to meet Pope’. The article added that Mrs Collins had called on…
A prominent Polish archbishop accused his country’s government of falsifying its data on refugees, while also fuelling a crisis with Germany over new demands for war reparations. Retired Archbishop Henryk Muszynski of Gniezno said the Polish government “still relentlessly insists it won’t accept a single one”. He said the government often states that it would…
Legacy of charity is attracting adults to Church, writes Chai Brady The prevalence of religion in everyday life in Ireland is often a revelation for many immigrants, but particularly those coming from governments who put strict limits on religious freedom. For the 31 catechumens entering the final stage of preparation for Baptism in St…
Forged In Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times by Nancy Koehn (John Murray, £14.99) Joe Carroll The five ‘leaders’ discussed in this book are an unusual mix: the Antarctic explorer, Ernest Shackleton; US President Abraham Lincoln; anti-slavery campaigner and ex-slave, Frederick Douglass; German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer; and finally Rachael Carson, author of The Silent…
Chai Brady
David Quinn
Greg Daly