Month: June 2018

Loneliness 
epidemic
 ‘needs 
attention’

People of all age groups are susceptible to loneliness, and initiatives must be implemented to alleviate this problem in Ireland, a social justice organisation has said. The Loneliness Task Force, which was established in collaboration with the CEO of ALONE, Sean Moynihan, to coordinate a response to the epidemic of loneliness and social isolation, said…

Even priests need a little encouragement

The Notebook   June is Jubilee month for many priests. In communities all over Ireland, people in sacred ministry are being honoured this month, especially for Silver, Ruby, Golden and Diamond jubilees (25, 40, 50 and 60 years of priesthood). I went to one such celebration earlier in June. A special once-off Mass had been…

TD praised on abortion stance

Matthew Carlson   A prominent pro-life group has applauded the actions of Offaly TD Carol Nolan after she retired from Sinn Féin because the group voted to deny its members the right to vote with their conscience on abortion without receiving discipline. At Sinn Fein’s Ard Fheis in Belfast last weekend, the party voted to…

Fr Tom Deenihan appointed Bishop of Meath

Pope Francis has appointed leading educationalist and Cork priest Fr Tom Deenihan as the new Bishop of Meath. The announcement was made in a Vatican communique this morning (June 18). He will succeed Bishop Michael Smith who recently turned 78 and was Ireland’s longest-serving bishop having been appointed to the episcopal bench by St John…

Country divided as Argentina move toward legal abortion

Argentina’s bishops expressed disappointment with the approval of an initiative that moves the South American country closer to legalising abortion. This comes as the country’s bishops have pledged to review their social ministries to better attend to youth and women. The country’s lower house of congress voted 129-123 to approve the initiative, which decriminalises abortion…