Changes not seen in the Irish Church for 1000 years happened today, when the Papal Nuncio announced the effective amalgamation of western dioceses. What does this mean for the Irish Church and is this the end of the beginning of the end of institutional Irish Catholicism? Michael Kelly joins us in studio for a Confession…
Staff Reporter
Growing interest in Confirmation pledge to abstain from alcohol and drugs
Darren Butler, National Coordinator of the Irish Bishops’ Drugs Initiative (IBDI), has spoken of a renewed interest in taking the pledge to abstain from alcohol and drugs at Sacrament of Confirmation ceremonies. The work of the IBDI is to mobilise parish communities to work in partnership with other service providers as a pastoral response to…
‘Religion-free’ spaces
Visitors to Dublin Airport will be familiar with the simple yet profound message on the belltower of the on-site Catholic Church: God is love. That statement from the first chapter of the Gospel according to St John neatly encapsulates 5,000 years of salvation history. At first thought, the presence of a church at an airport,…
Bishop Doran: Faith is not dependent on public policy but trust in Christ alone
Making an appeal in a culture that is “changing rapidly”, Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran, urged Catholics to not be dismayed at a growing societal attitude that openly disregards faith and the Church but to instead centre our focus on the fundamentals of what we believe in and the Church’s provisions if we want to…
Asylum seekers in tents will happen again warns Catholic charity
Unaccommodated asylum seekers living in “unacceptable and shocking living conditions” will be repeated if the Government doesn’t begin an emergency response, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Ireland have warned. “The time for action is now” if Ireland wants to avoid a repeat of the “shocking, squalid and unsafe” living conditions 150 asylum seekers were living…
‘We live in a very fragile and troubled world’ – Primate
The Primate of All Ireland has called on the faithful not to forget the Good News of the risen Christ despite “the seemingly intractable problems at home surrounding addiction, housing and migration”. In his Easter message Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh hailed the late sculptor Imongen Stuart, who died last week, and made a bronze…
In praise of priests
After much promotion by bishops and priests the Irish Church’s Year of Vocations comes to a close at the end of this month. Over the course of the initiative, announced by Bishop of Waterford and Lismore Alphonsus Cullinan, immersive events have popped up around the country with the intention of assisting and encouraging young men…
Pope rubbishes lay conclave vote rumours in new book
Pope Francis has shot down claims that he is planning giving women and laity a say in the vote to elect a pope. Speaking in his recently released biography Life, the Pope described as “fantasy” reports from “some American media outlets” that he intended to change the rules around the conclave to give nuns and…
Archbishop Martin: We need ‘an honest and open conversation’ about migration
In his St Patrick’s Day message, Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin said the “legitimate anxieties” that exist in society in relation to the implications of immigration need to be recognised in order for the conversation to “move away from the extremes” and become a normal part of civil and political discourse in both the north…
Climate change low on list of Irish concerns study shows
New research reveals three out of four Irish people support Government spending on overseas aid, but climate change is down in the list of priorities and understanding of sustainable development goals (SDGs) is low. The Worldview research – published Irish charities network Dóchas – showed that 76% agree it is important to provide overseas aid,…