Irish archbishop in South Africa Liam Slattery OFM tells of how the ‘load shedding’ practice is causing economic havoc, hears Jason Osborne In one way or another, all of us have a newfound awareness of the precariousness of our modern dependence on electricity and the fuels it’s generated by. This consciousness is largely as a…
Independent TD for Laois-Offaly Carol Nolan has asked the Minister for Education for a review of all SPHE recommended reading lists to ensure that the material being recommended to children is age-appropriate. Deputy Nolan said she saw a “significant increase” in the number of parents contacting her about the inappropriate content of books on recommended…
The Pope: Answers is one of Disney’s newest documentaries, and sees Pope Francis explain that the Church cannot allow itself to become merely “a club of nice people”. Released on April 5 and directed by Spanish filmmaker Jordi Évole, the one hour and 23 minute-long documentary shares a conversation between Pope Francis and 10 young…
There were no Easter messages from Ireland’s top politicians this year, with some social media users expressing disappointment that the country’s largest religion wasn’t represented during its most important feast. Only a small number of politicians made mention of Easter, while none of the leaders of the country’s biggest political parties commemorated the occasion. “Wishing…
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has revealed that over 8,500 women availed of abortion services in Ireland in 2022. Minister Donnelly revealed the figure on April 4 on RTÉ Radio One’s News at One programme, which sees the number of abortions carried out in Ireland since the law became operational rise to around 28,500. Reacting…
Christo Jivkov, the actor who portrayed St John the evangelist in Mel Gibson’s famous The Passion of the Christ, died March 31 age 48 following a struggle with lung cancer. “My dear friend Christo has lost his heroic battle with cancer. Right to the last moment, he was filled with hope and his spirit was…
Cavan-Monaghan TD Brendan Smith has said that the global persecution of Christians is “not an issue that gets near enough widespread coverage as it should” and that he was shocked by the contents of the recent Church in Chains Global Guide. Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper, Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith said that he…
A review of the State’s abortion laws has been compiled and sent to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly. Barrister Marie O’Shea was appointed last year as the independent chairwoman of the review, and she has submitted her final report to Minister Donnelly. A spokesman for Mr Donnelly said he would consider its findings and bring…
The Ukrainian apostolic visitor to Ireland has welcomed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The ICC accused President Putin of committing war crimes in Ukraine, focusing in particular on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since the invasion in February 2022. “The…
Healthy and well-adjusted societies do not see surges in the use of drugs, writes Jason Osborne According to a recent United Nations report, Irish people are the joint fourth-highest consumers of cocaine globally, relatively speaking. The report (based on data from 2019 – the most recently compiled) revealed that 2.4% of Irish people reported having…