Cardinal Angelo De Donatis said December 23 that the Diocese of Rome learned only recently about the accusations of abuse against Fr Marko Rupnik, a Jesuit priest and artist who has served in the diocese for decades. In a statement, Cardinal De Donatis said “the diocese of Rome, which was unaware until recently of the…
The US Supreme Court said December 27 that a federal public health rule that allows immigration officials at the border to quickly turn away migrants seeking asylum could stay in place while legal challenges to the policy played out. In a 5-4 decision, the justices stopped a trial judge’s ruling that would have lifted the…
Fire breaks out in Brazil’s Aparecida shrine A fire broke out in the Chapel of the Candles at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in Sao Paulo state, Brazil. The fire started around 8am local time. According to the Marian shrine, the fire started because a candle had been placed on a pew.…
Letter from USA Fr Paul Seil experienced a Christmas unlike any other in his 67 years of life in Buffalo, New York. In the midst of the multiday blizzard that paralysed parts of western New York, Fr Seil, chaplain for the Buffalo Fire Department, had to evacuate the rectory at his parish in the city’s…
Love comes first, Pope says in letter on St Francis de Sales The most important question a Christian can ask when making any decision in life is “where the greatest love is to be found,” Pope Francis wrote in a letter marking the 400th anniversary of St Francis de Sales, a doctor of the Church.…
Dear Editor, As usual Catholic schools are found to be at the top of school leader boards in the south, and according to a recent poll, in the North as well. The recent poll highlighted by your paper [The Irish Catholic – December 15, 2022] in which three out of the top five schools in…
Retired Pope Benedict XVI, who had an impressive record as a teacher and defender of the basics of Catholic faith, is likely to go down in history books as the first pope in almost 600 years to resign. He died December 31 at the age of 95, nearly 10 years after leaving the papacy to…
A Catholic bishop in Congo warned of a loss of government control over parts of the country, three months ahead of a projected visit by Pope Francis. “Our people are languishing in misery, while those managing the republic swim in abundance, showing indifference toward the martyred population,” said Bishop Placide Lubamba Ndjibu of Kasongo. “We…
Struggling schools are turning to their local parish priest to help pay their energy bills, despite hikes in the capitation grant, said TD Michael Collins. Mr Collins criticised Minister for Education Norma Foley’s claim that there was “no reason” for schools to ask for voluntary contributions this year following the rise in capitation grants. “It…
Governments and sporting organisations must ensure equal participation and access to sport for all children, not just the able bodied, Gerard Gallagher hears Recently an international summit on sport was held in the Vatican under the theme ‘Sport for All’, September 29-30. Pope Francis addressed the attendees and spoke of “promoting the notion of sport…