Less buildings, more mission needed says Archbishop of Dublin
The Archbishop of Dublin has warned that the Church can’t be reduced to buildings, particularly at a time when preaching the Gospel is needed more than ever before “in the history of the Church in Ireland”. Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Archbishop Dermot Farrell said that “the Church can’t be reduced to buildings, or even […]
Major roadblocks’ to synod in Ireland dioceses warn
EXCLUSIVE A lack of formation and Canon Law are “major roadblocks” to embedding synodality and co-responsibility in Ireland, Irish dioceses have said in new submissions ahead of the October listening sessions in Rome. Additionally, there is “complacency and paralysis” when it comes to laity assuming responsibility locally, despite the “pressing need” to involve laity in […]
Schools must be proud of our Catholic identity
Dr Catherine McCormack My first observation on the GRACE project’s reports is the worrying number of stakeholders who report that they received no training for their roles in Catholic schools; and of those who received training, generally it was once-off or less often than yearly. Also concerning is the fact that of those who received… […]
Islamists burn down homes of Egypt’s long-suffering Christians
Muslim extremists set on fire several homes of Christians in Minya, a province in southern Egypt, in a continuation of anti-Christian violence less than two weeks before Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter. According to The New Arab, when anti-Christian fanatics failed to dispossess Christians of their homes in retribution for attempting to build a church in […]
Religious education stuck in a paradigm from the past
Dr Amalee Meehan Religious Education (RE) internationally and in this country, is considered a key expression of Catholic school ethos and identity. In Ireland, as enshrined in the Education Act of 1988, it is the responsibility of the school patron. A new in-depth study uncovers a mixed bag of results about the reality of RE… […]
Unwanted guests at a party – Catholicism and Irish schools
Eoin McCormack With the release of the comprehensive GRACE report (Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education) assessing the realities facing Catholic education in Ireland just a week after the Teacher’s Union (INTO) called for the removal of the religious education qualification to teach in Catholic schools, it almost feels that when it comes to education in… […]
Our hospitals are war zones – euthanasia will become the ‘decent thing’
Most politicians are dancing down the road to assisted dying with talk of meaningless ‘safeguards’, writes Michael Kelly On Monday of this week, the British parliament discussed the issue of euthanasia. The House of Commons heard passionate pleas from many MPs calling for people to be allowed to end their lives in a way… […]
Young saints set to be canonised in 2025 can bring Irish youth ‘to God’
Two young saints set to be canonised in 2025, Blesseds Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, can bring young Irish people to God, an Irish priest involved in saints’ canonisation causes has said. While most people think of saints as being older or from centuries ago, Blessed Pier Giorgio – who died age 24 – […]
‘Zealots’ of gender ideology are in heart of the Government
Theo McDonald Hundreds of protestors gathered outside the RDS on Saturday as women’s rights group The Countess held a conference highlighting the impact of ‘gender ideology’ on Irish society. As protestors shouted “shame on you”, some attendees reported being spat on as they tried to enter the conference. One attendee mentioned how she had to enter […]
Ideology replaces fact in response to trans report
I hope Dr Hilary Cass wins in the battle for children’s bodies, writes Dualta Roughneen The response to the Cass Report in the UK must be strikingly familiar to people in Ireland. The Cass Report, a lengthy and in-depth review, led by Dr Hilary Cass, aimed to “ensure that children and young people who… […]