While many Catholic leaders in Nigeria are concerned about the influence of Pentecostalism, Catholics in the southeastern parts of the country are concerned about another trend. In rural parts of the West African country, the number of young people participating in Sunday Mass has plummeted and continues to fall as many of them turn to…
Pope Francis creates new archdiocese in Wales, appoints its first bishop
Pope Francis has united two Welsh dioceses to create the new Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia, the Vatican announced September 12, the feast of the Holy Name of Mary. Archbishop Mark O’Toole, who will lead the newly formed archdiocese, emphasised the significance of this date in a pastoral letter on the unification. “We are immensely grateful to Pope…
Self-professed archbishop, primate denounced by Fatima and Rome as a fake
A self-professed Catholic bishop and primate, who was ordained to the priesthood by the excommunicated Zambian Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo in 2009, and who’s built a following in part on the basis of performing exorcisms, has been denounced by both the dioceses of Fatima and Rome as a fraud. Self-professed Bishop Salvatore Micalef, born in a…
Pew poll shows slim majority of US Catholics voting for Trump
A new poll by Pew Research Centre shows a slim majority of US Catholics intending to cast their ballot for former president Donald Trump in November, with Trump and Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris in a dead heat among the entire electorate as the election contest enters its final weeks. The poll, released last week, found…
The gift of indulgences
The acclaimed Irish spiritual writer of the twentieth century, Blessed Columba Marmion, once wrote in a letter to a missionary nun in the tropics: “All that God does for us proceeds from His mercy. God builds an eternal monument to His mercy in Heaven. The stones of this monument are the miserable who draw down…
Holding RTÉ accountable for lack of fairness
Letter of the week Holding RTÉ accountable for lack of fairness Dear Editor, The article highlighting the anti-Catholic bias at RTÉ brings to the forefront an issue that has been ignored for too long [The Irish Catholic – September 5, 2024]. The broadcaster’s recent programme, ‘Farmed Out’, presents yet another example of how Catholic institutions…
Don’t let the State off the hook
The Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Schools run by Religious Orders has rightly generated a response of revulsion at the horrific acts perpetrated across the country. The inquiry reveals abuse on a large scale. No amount of context can mask the fact that 2,395 allegations of abuse have been made across 308 schools…
Abuse inquiry must hold all schools accountable
Chai Brady and Brandon Scott The Government’s statutory inquiry into abuse must include all schools or “rapidly lose credibility” the Head of the Journalism in Griffith College Dublin has warned. Following the publication of a scoping inquiry into religious run Catholic schools last week Dr Niall Meehan told The Irish Catholic that the Commission of…
Blessed salt and holy bells for the National Ploughing Championships
This year, the National Ploughing Championships, located in the Diocese of Kildare & Leighlin, will take place from September 17-19 in Ratheniska, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. The diocese will be represented in stand 221 and will highlight the suffering of victims in war torn areas such as Gaza and Ukraine. In the stand, the visitors will be…
New Maori Queen in New Zealand is Catholic
The Maori people, the Indigenous population of mainland New Zealand, have crowned a new queen after the death of their king — and she’s Catholic. King Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII died on August 30 at the age of 69. His death came days after his 18th anniversary as king of the Kingitanga, also known as…