As Church leaders and Catholic groups around the world increasingly call for the removal of sacred art created by Fr Marko Rupnik, the art institute founded by the disgraced former Jesuit is punching back, saying Fr Rupnik’s art is being subjected to “cancel culture”. “In the face of growing pressure for the removal of the…
100 years of the Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary
The Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, founded in March 1924 in Killeshandra, Co. Cavan celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving for the Centenary of their foundation on August 3 in the Cathedral in Cavan. Having just completed their 16th General Chapter, all the delegates to the chapter who came from different parts of the world were…
US bishop wants Catholics to become more educated on immigration
A recent survey that reveals a mixed-bag of Catholic perceptions on immigration, including responses that don’t align with Church teaching, brings Bishop Mark Seitz back to the question that Church leaders often grapple with in this age of secularisation: How can they form the conscience of their members, and shape them according to Christ’s message?…
Standing up for disability
In 2018, Ireland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities after over a decade of procrastination. The argument was that the Government did not want to make international commitments until it was ready to do so. Since then, progress on disability rights has been, to say the least, miserable. On January…
ETB schools neglecting faith formation
Letter of the week ETB schools neglecting faith formation Dear Editor, The article by Fr Martin Delaney in the July 4 edition of The Irish Catholic was very apt, articulate and welcome. It was most timely for many of us: pastoral leaders, concerned parents and board of school management members, who are trying our best,…
Catholic leaders worldwide condemn Last Supper Olympic scene
Bishops and prominent prelates from around the world have joined the French Bishops’ Conference and US bishops in criticising the Paris Olympics opening ceremony held on July 26 for its depiction of the Last Supper, calling it a deeply deplorable derision of Christianity. The controversial scene, part of the €1.5 billion spectacle to kick off the…
Rosary app brings a chance to take part in the Olympics
The Hozana Association has launched a new app called ‘Rosary’ with the aim of supporting Olympic athletes through prayer. Cassandre Verhelst, a spokesperson for Hozana, spoke with this paper, encouraging the Irish Church to participate in the Olympics spiritually. “We thought the initiative was great and wanted to allow people to participate in the Olympics…
Dublin-born monsignor appointed archbishop-elect
Pope Francis has appointed a Dublin diocesan priest as an Archbishop-elect. Monsignor John Kennedy is currently Secretary of the Disciplinary Section of the Dicastery for the Congregation of the Faith at the Vatican. The body has a Doctrinal and Disciplinary section each coordinated by a Secretary who assists the Prefect in the specific area of…
Belgian bishop quits post, said work ‘is destroying him’
Bishop Johan Bonny confirmed on July 25 that he was withdrawing from the high-profile role of key man on abuse, citing an excessive workload that he said was taking a toll on his health. His departure leaves the Belgian Church scrambling to find a successor before Pope Francis’ September 26-29 visit, which is expected to include…
Parishes combined in both Derry and Dublin due to priest shortages
The Bishops of Derry and Dublin have both announced that parishes in their respective dioceses are to be merged in recent days in order to better manage the prevailing challenges impacting parishes, namely the falling numbers of priests in active ministry. The Bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown has announced that three Catholic parishes in counties…