More than half of the global population lives in a country in which state or non-state actors actively persecute people for their religious beliefs, according to the 2023 Religious Freedom in the World report. Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic charity, published the report, which put 28 countries in the “red” category for…
The Oireachtas Special Committee on ‘Assisted Dying’ last week consulted three constitutional experts who attempted to shed light on whether or not the Oireachtas has the ability to introduce legislation that would see assisted suicide and/or euthanasia in Ireland. Dr Tom Hickey, Assistant Professor of Constitutional law at Dublin City University (DCU), told the committee…
An Irish judge has noted as a sign of a lack of remorse the fact that a man guilty of the manslaughter of his elderly aunt neglected to say the act of contrition in her ear as she lay dying. 59-year-old farmer Michael Scott of Portumna in Co. Galway has been jailed for six years…
Saint of the week Arguably the most famous of the Church’s saints on June 29 we celebrate the feast of Sts Peter and Paul. Their influence permeates the entire Church and the world – Peter being the ‘rock’ upon which Christ chose to build his Church, Paul’s letters of guidance and encouragement being read out…
Earlier this month the story of a 24-year-old French man named Henri, who is being called the “backpack hero,” went viral for stopping a knife attack at a playground in southeastern France by chasing the attacker with a backpack. Henri was in the town of Annecy during a pilgrimage visiting France’s cathedrals when he witnessed the attack.…
The Church has a long history of celebrating martyrs – those who died “in a supreme act of love, witnessing to their faithfulness to Christ, to the Gospel and to the Church” (Pope Benedict XVI, apostolic letter to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints). That logic is somewhat incomprehensible today, though. A certain amount…
Pope Francis and Brazil’s President Lula embrace during visit Pope Francis said a meeting with Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Vatican June 21 took place in an atmosphere of “great sympathy and friendship,” the Vatican said. The two can be seen embracing in photos shared by the Brazilian president’s photographer. Pope…
Amendments to the Minister of Religion visa scheme that address criticisms have been warmly welcomed by missionary bodies and congregations that often bring religious overseas to Ireland as part of their work. This paper previously reported that religious and missionary bodies involved in negotiations with the Department of Justice were dissatisfied with the scheme, and…
The Ukrainian Catholic community is hoping and praying for peace and justice amid the long-awaited spring counteroffensive in the ongoing war according to the chaplain to Ukrainians in Ireland, Fr Vasyl Kornitsky. “We still pray for hope, for peace in Ukraine,” Fr Kornitsky told The Irish Catholic. “What I noticed recently is that people are…
This mysterious, yet illuminating, figure of the early Church is heralded for two reasons: his writings in defence of what would come to be established Church teachings and his martyrdom. Strangely, we know much more about his writings than we do about his martyrdom – about which we know next to nothing, other than that…