Northern Ireland, known for its entrenched Protestant majority, saw a monumental shift as Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill secured the necessary cross-community votes to become the region’s first Catholic leader. This marked a significant departure from the past, where leaders openly identified with Protestantism. In a poignant moment at Stormont Parliament Building, O’Neill, representing the Irish Read more
Several thousand people gathered in Dublin city centre on Saturday for a pro-life rally. The crowds assembled at Parnell Square at lunchtime, before marching down O’Connell Street and onto Custom House Quay. The Rally For Life was the first in-person march to be held since 2019 because of Covid restrictions. Organisers said the chief aim Read more
The Catholic Church in Ireland is “moving from maintenance to mission” and needs to renew and refresh itself, Archbishop Eamon Martin says. Martin made the comment after attending Ireland’s national pre-synodal assembly this week. “The question is — what next? “We are still not entirely certain, but we are open to what the Holy Spirit Read more
Catholic churchgoers in Ireland have raised 3.25 million euro for the people of Ukraine since the war began. Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh and Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin paid tribute to the generosity of parishioners. Irish bishops had asked for a special collection in parishes across Ireland in the wake of the Russian invasion. Read more
In his Lenten Message, Archbishop Eamon Martin, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, says – “The people of Ireland are well aware that we can never take peace for granted. We must always continue work for peace, to pray for peace and to make sacrifices for peace. “The scenes from Ukraine in recent Read more
Archbishop Eamon Martin has launched the 2021 interactive digital Advent Calendar, which will go live on on the first Sunday of Advent, 28 November. Now in its eighth year, the unique digital Advent Calendar offers resources for the parish, school and for families which can be accessed behind a virtual door each day during the Read more
Leaders of Ireland’s Christian churches presented a united front during a ceremony marking 100 years of partition of Ireland. The ecumenical service at the Church of Ireland cathedral in Armagh was billed as a neutral “reflection” on the island’s division into a British north and independent south a century ago. The 1921 partition came amid Read more
The Irish Government has asked the Catholic Church to identify property it owns that could be used to tackle the housing crisis. Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien made the request to the Primate of All Ireland, Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin, in a recent letter. It comes as work continues to finalise the Government’s Housing Read more
The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has called for a new rule criminalising church services to be suspended. The government introduced the rule last week in a surprise move. Archbishop Eamon Martin (pictured) says the penal provisions associated with the new regulation are “provocative” and “draconian”. They also potentially infringed religious freedom and Read more
Irish primate Archbishop Eamon Martin says Archbishop Carlo Mario Viganò hijacked the World Meeting of Families in August. Viganò achieved this by releasing an 11-page letter accusing Pope Francis of mishandling sexual abuse claims on the final day of his visit to Ireland. In the letter, Viganò claims Francis was aware of sexual misconduct concerns Read more