Pope Francis has said that the faithful who attend Mass lack a fundamental right if they do not receive a well-prepared and well-preached homily. Speaking in St Peter’s Square during his weekly general address on Ash Wednesday, the Pontiff said that in the Liturgy of the Word, the Lord speaks for both pastors and faithful,…
Depaul helped move almost 600 homeless people into more permanent accommodation last year, the charity has said. In a statement, the charity revealed that in 2017, Depaul’s Assertive Engagement (AE) helped 593 people who were using emergency, night-time only hostels move to a variety of more stable arrangements. Depaul currently operate two of the largest…
The Pro-Life Campaign has called on The Irish Examiner to retract a front-page story claiming that 75% of Irish doctors support open access to abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The PLC has said the story, which has the sub-heading ‘Poll of 400 medics shows support for liberalising abortion regime’, is “fake news”.…
Bishop Denis Brennan of Ferns is meeting in the Vatican with other bishops, senior law enforcement officers and key international organisations this week to share best practice in the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery. Dr Brennan is the Irish bishops’ representative in the Santa Marta Group (SMG), an alliance of police chiefs, bishops,…
Government plans could undermine communities even further The National Planning Framework plan currently under discussion by Government could undermine life in rural Ireland a well-known priest-activist has warned, with other priests insisting that rural Ireland is dying as a result of policymakers’ neglect. Fr Harry Bohan told The Irish Catholic he believed that the framework was…
People who read at Mass are not reading from a newspaper, they are “proclaiming the word of God” and they need training, Fr Danny Murphy from the National Centre of Liturgy in Maynooth has said. Fr Murphy, told The Irish Catholic that parishes and dioceses “need to be facilitating getting people trained” who can then go back…
Rían Wood While Catholic schools must be inclusive, the Church has a “right and the responsibility to impart the Gospel vision” to students Bishop Fintan Monahan has warned. Speaking at Mass to mark the conclusion of Catholic Schools Week, the Bishop of Killaloe said the success of the Catholic system is a result of its…
The View There are a lot of questions about the forthcoming abortion referendum and the country’s response to it. Perhaps the first question is: does everyone know what the Eighth Amendment actually says? An important question, when the people are about to vote about whether it stays or it goes. It’s not just about…
Repealing the Eighth Amendment would give politicians “exclusive power” in relation to future legislation on abortion, according to a Pro-Life campaign spokesperson. Caroline Simons, the legal consultant to the Pro Life Campaign, said that the public are being asked to trust politicians who “change their mind on a whim”. Speaking at a conference in Dublin…
Susan Gately
Nuala O’Loan