Pope Francis: Say yes to life, not death
“Let us say ‘Yes’ to life and not death.” These were the words of Pope Francis during his homily on Sunday morning for Evangelium Vitae Day, a day celebrating the Gospel of Life.  An ....

Pope Francis to G8: Money, politics and economics must serve, not rule
Money, politics and economics must serve, not rule. They must serve people and promote an ethics of truth. This was the thread running through Pope Francis Letter to the British Prime Minister on ....

Irish aid agencies launch emergency appeal for Syria
Trócaire and Concern have launched emergency appeals for Syria. Trócaire warns that the situation in the region threatens to reach catastrophic levels following the dramatic deterioration in ....

Pastoral Letter in defence of unborn human life by Bishop of Cork & Ross
Very Reverend and Dear Father,  The Government is proposing to introduce legislation for the first time in Irish history which will provide for the direct and intentional ending of the life ....

Pope Francis: The Christian life proclaims the road to reconcilation with God
Christian life is not a spa therapy "to be at peace until Heaven," but it calls us to go out into the world to proclaim that Jesus "became the sinner" to reconcile men with the Father. These were ....

Bishops ask faithful to pray with Pope for coming of 'Gospel of Life'
The Catholic bishops of Ireland have asked the faithful in parishes all over the country to join Pope Francis this weekend in praying in support of the “Gospel of Life”.  Celebrating the ....

Vatican Meeting of Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury
At the end of his first visit to the Vatican, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said he and Pope Francis shared ideas on economic justice, on the plight of Christians in the Middle East, ....

Archbishop Neary’s address at the launch of the Mayo Suicide Liaison Project
Suicide is one of the most challenging contemporary problems in Ireland. It is a major concern for families and communities throughout the country. It is claiming an average of 500 lives per year ....

PLC dispute IT abortion poll findings
The Pro Life Campaign has questioned the results of a survey on abortion published in yesterdays’ Irish Times, which showed 75% in favour of abortion, with just 14% against.  The sample of ....

Pope Francis: Synods expression of collegiality
This morning the Pope received members of the 13th Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, gathered in Rome to help the pontiff choose the theme of the next Ordinary ....

Pope Francis: The grace not to speak ill of others
May the Lord grant us the grace to watch our tongues and be careful of what we say of others, because through our weakness and sin, we often find it easier to insult and denigrate than say or do ....

Silver jubilee celebrations for six Meath priests
Do not settle for a comfort zone and a routine, Bishop-Elect Denis Nulty told priests at jubilee celebrations in St Patrick’s College, Maynooth on 10 – 11th June 2013.   “The dominant theme ....

Summer General Meeting of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference
At the conclusion of the Summer 2013 General Meeting of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Maynooth, bishops have published the following statement addressing issues discussed during their ....

Pope Francis: we are all invited to be members of the People of God
Pope Francis on Wednesday addressed the crowds of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square for the weekly General Audience. Please find below Vatican Radio's full translation of his address. Dear ....

Bishop's statement - A time to uphold the right to life
We are at a defining moment for our country, according to Catholic Bishops who issued a statement on the proposed abortion laws on the second day of the June General Meeting of the Irish Catholic ....

Pope Francis: Poverty and praise of God
The Gospel should be generously and simply proclaimed said Pope Francis during morning Mass Tuesday in the Casa Santa Marta chapel. Poverty and praise of God, he said are the two key signs of an ....

US Bishops lobby Senate on Immigration Reform Legislation
WASHINGTON— As the U.S. Senate begins debate on immigration reform legislation this week, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) ....

SVP warns about money lenders
The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has called on the Central Bank to publish baseline data to take money lending out of the shadows.   SVP members are becoming increasingly alarmed at ....

Pope Francis: Christian consolation and the law of the truly free
The Beatitudes are 'new commandments', but they are not just a simple do gooders list. They cannot be understood with the mind, only with the heart, so if our hearts are closed to God we will never ....

60 years of Caritas Hong Kong
Hong Kong - Tireless work to "contribute to the formation and development of man": is what is carried out by Caritas Hong Kong, one of the largest diocesan Caritas in the world, with over 10 ....

Pope Francis: messages of hope and perseverance to pilgrims
Pope Francis spoke with tens of thousands of pilgrims who made a 28km, all-night pilgrimage on foot from Macerata to the Marian shrine at Loreto, in Italy. Noting that they pilgrims would be ....

President of USCCB Joins Other Bishops' Conferences in Letter to Leaders of G8 Nations;
WASHINGTON—Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, joined the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of the Group of 8 nations (G8) to urge national ....

Pope Francis: Sunday Angelus 9th June 2013 (full text)
Pope Francis prayed the Angelus with thousands of pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square this Sunday. In his remarks to the gathered faithful, the Holy Father reflected on the mercy of Our Lord, ....

Well over 40,000 people attend National Vigil for Life
The Government must stop misrepresenting its proposed abortion legislation as restrictive and face up to the dangers in its abortion plan, Pro Life Campaign spokesperson Caroline Simons told the ....

Pope Francis: Religious freedom often affirmed, not always put into practice
Religious freedom was among the topics which Pope Francis touched upon Saturday during his meeting with Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. In his address to the Italian Head of State, Pope ....

IF campaign: Archbishop Nichols on Christian vision of solidarity with poor
Millionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and a host of other well-known names are leading tens of thousands of people in London’s Hyde Park on ....

Forget the chores, down tools, take a bus and support life says PLC
This may be the last opportunity to protest before legislation is introduced to allow abortion, and organisers of the Pro Life vigil today, have appealed to the public to “drop” what they are ....

Priests working with local communities to prevent suicide and support bereaved families
As citizens and as Christians, committed to a society that cherishes the dignity and value of every human life, we cannot fail to be alarmed at the number of deaths by suicide occurring across ....

Pope launches into spontaneous Q&A with students
In a style that seems to have almost become signature of the current pontificate, Pope Francis stepped out of yet another scripted session to engage in a spontaneous question-and-answer period with ....

Minister pays tribute to “enormous work” of Irish missionaries
The Minister of State for Trade and Development, Joe Costello, has paid tribute to the “enormous work” done by Irish missionaries throughout the world. Speaking to ciNews following his ....

Pope Francis to spend Summer at Vatican
Pope Francis will remain at the Domus Sanctae Marthae residence in the Vatican, even during the summer months. The Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Fr. Federico Lombardi, SJ affirmed ....

Pope Francis to future diplomats: noo to careerism!
Pope Francis on Thursday spoke to the members of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, which is dedicated to training priests to serve in the diplomatic corps and the Secretariat of State of the ....

Redemtoristines founder now venerable
The Redemptoristine sisters are rejoicing in Dublin as Pope Francis has recognised their founder as venerable.   Sr Gabrielle broke what she called the “wonderful news” to the community ....

Pope Francis: Counter a culture of waste with solidarity
When stock markets drop ten points its ‘a tragedy’ but starving children, homeless people dying on our streets, people disposed of like trash - such as the unborn or the elderly - has become the ....

Pope Francis renews appeal for peace in Syria
Pope Francis met with humanitarian groups dealing with the Syrian crisis on Wednesday before his general audience. The event was organized by the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum". "In the face of ....

Nuns on the bus again
The Sisters of Mercy in America are taking their bus out on the road again this year. The second ‘Nuns on the Bus’ as their action is named, will call for fair immigration reform that puts families ....

Pope Francis: Hypocrisy is the language of the corrupt
Hypocrites may say all the right things, but for the wrong reasons. A Christian should not use a "socially mannered language", prone to hypocrisy, but speak the truth of the Gospel with the ....

Papal video message for “Ten Squares for Ten Commandments” initiative
This coming Saturday, 8 June, the Holy Father will send a video message to those participating in the “Ten Squares for Ten Commandments” initiative that is being promoted by the Renewal in the Holy ....

Irish overseas prisioners group concerned about legal aid cuts in UK
“Working with almost 1,000 Irish prisoners in the UK, we are extremely concerned about the effect these proposals will have on our clients.  Prisoners - including those with learning ....

"From the moment of conception, every human life is sacred and precious" - Bishop John Kirby
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb (Lk 1:42) Last Friday was the Feast of the Visitation of Our Lady.  It commemorated her trip to the Hill Country in Judaea ....