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Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Dermot Farrell

Mass must come before 'non-essential' business - Church

The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin has said he will continue to emphasise to the Government the importance of the earliest possible return to worship.

Ireland • 31 Mar 21

Philippe Barbarin failed to act on allegations of sexual abuse in his diocese

French cardinal convicted over sex abuse cover-up

French cardinal Philippe Barbarin has been convicted of helping covering up child sexual abuse and handed a six-month suspended jail term.

Europe • 07 Mar 19

Religion will no longer be used as a criteria for admission to Catholic primary schools

Religion as school admission criteria is outlawed

Minister for Education Richard Bruton has signed an order to outlaw the use of religion as a criteria for primary school admissions in almost all cases.

Education • 03 Oct 18

Theodore McCarrick was ordered to live a life of 'penance'

US cardinal resigns over sex abuse allegations

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of a US cardinal following "credible" allegations that he abused a teenager almost 50 years ago.

religion • 28 Jul 18

Three Education and Training Boards have contracted ACCORD to deliver RSE programmes in a number of their schools

Some State schools outsourcing RSE to Catholic agency

One of the country's largest primary schools is among a number of State multi-denominational schools that have outsourced teaching about relationships and sexuality to a Catholic agency.

Education • 02 May 18

Overall, 5,000 more pupils enrolled in primary school last year

Enrolment in Catholic schools continues to increase

The number of children attending Catholic primary schools here continues to grow, and has grown more strongly this year compared to any other sector, according to the latest Department of Education enrolment data.

News • 27 Feb 18

Luis Figari founded the Catholic society in Peru 'Sodalitium Christianae Vitae'

Pope orders takeover of Catholic society in Peru

Pope Francis has ordered a Vatican takeover of an elite Catholic society in Peru whose founder is accused of sexually and physically abusing children and former group members.

Pope Francis • 11 Jan 18

The cardinals expressed their solidarity with Pope Francis

Cardinals back pope after attacks by conservatives

Senior cardinals from around the world have defended Pope Francis against a spate of recent attacks from conservatives challenging his authority.

News • 13 Feb 17

Pope Francis praised the 'contagious power of a genuine faith'

Pope unhurt after fall during mass in Poland

Pope Francis was unhurt after he stumbled down a step on an altar while celebrating mass in the Polish city of Czeztochowa, but quickly got back to his feet and was able to continue.

News • 28 Jul 16

The majority of schools are under the patronage of the Catholic Church

Experts contradict Taoiseach on school admission

A group of constitutional law experts have said they see no constitutional impediment to changing the law to ensure that children have equal access to State-funded schools regardless of whether or not they are Catholic.

News • 22 Jun 16

Many of the delegates at the synod in Limerick are lay people

Equality for women leading issue at synod

A synod in the Diocese of Limerick has heard how the Catholic Church needs to apologise to women to end centuries of treating them as second class citizens.

News • 10 Apr 16

Archbishops Diarmuid Martin and Archbishop Eamon Martin

Pope calls for openness to 'imperfect' Catholics

The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland has described Pope Francis’s new guidelines on family values as grounded in reality.

News • 08 Apr 16

37 out of 59 pupils at Gaelscoil Dhochtúir Uí Shuilleabháin in Skibbereen, Co Cork have opted to take the non-Catholic classes

Catholic school offers alternative ethics class

A Catholic primary school offering an alternative non-Catholic ethics and religious beliefs programme to pupils has said schools interested in the idea should "go for it".

News • 27 Jan 16

The audits 'show good safeguarding practice and prompt reporting of allegations'

No convictions over 53 allegations of church abuse

The Catholic Church's child protection watchdog has found that 53 allegations of child abuse against 44 members of three religious orders have resulted in no convictions.

News • 02 Dec 15

Pope Francis listens to the speech of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their meeting in Ankara

Pope Francis calls for end to fundamentalism

Pope Francis called for an end to all forms of fundamentalism as he began a three-day visit to Turkey.

News • 28 Nov 14

Conservative bishops had vowed to change the language on gays, cohabitation and re-marriage

Catholic synod vote described as 'disappointing'

Catholic gay rights groups have described the rejection by bishops of proposals for wider acceptance of gay people as "very disappointing".

News • 20 Oct 14

Some clergy have expressed concern over the document

Clergy 'perplexed' over Vatican document

A number of Catholic cardinals and bishops attending a synod on the Catholic Family have said they are "perplexed" by this week’s conciliatory discussion document on breaches of church doctrine.

News • 16 Oct 14

Archbishop Wilton Gregory said he took his "eye off the ball"

Catholic Archbishop apologises for €1.6m mansion

The Catholic Archbishop of Atlanta has apologised for building a $2.2m (€1.6m) mansion to use as his home, a move that made him the object of derision and complaint, and said he may sell it.

News • 01 Apr 14

Dr McKeown succeeds Dr Seamus Hegarty, who retired in 2011

Donal McKeown appointed Bishop of Derry

Auxiliary Bishop of Down and Conor Dr Donal McKeown has been appointed as the new Catholic Bishop of Derry.

News • 25 Feb 14

Bishop Christopher Jones expressed regret at the 'dramatic reduction' in Accord's staff

Catholic marriage service announces job cuts

The Catholic Bishops' Marriage Care Service, Accord, has announced it is to implement compulsory redundancies for approximately one-third of its staff.

News • 19 Dec 13

Demand for change in some areas is deemed not big enough to support a four-teacher school

23 multi-denominational schools recommended

A Department of Education report has recommended the establishment of 23 multi-denominational primary schools across the country to meet what it calls immediate parental demand.

News • 02 Apr 13

Victims' rights groups had said the comments by Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier were insensitive

Cardinal apologises for paedophilia comments

A South African cardinal has apologised for offending victims of child abuse after he described paedophilia as an illness and not a crime.

News • 18 Mar 13

Foud Twal, the Latin Patriarch of the Holy Land, embraced Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (l) as the Palestinian Authority leader attended the Christmas midnight mass in Saint Catherine's Church in Bethlehem

Pope condemns slaughter of 'defenceless' in Syria

Pope Benedict XVI has delivered his twice-yearly ‘Urbi et Orbi’ blessing and message to tens of thousands of people gathered in St Peter's Square and millions across the world.

News • 26 Dec 12

Orangemen march past St Patrick's Catholic Church in north Belfast

Census shows fall in Protestant majority in NI

The gap between the proportion of Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland has narrowed, according to new census figures.

News • 11 Dec 12

Catholic bishops respond to abortion report

Ireland’s Catholic bishops have criticised the failure of the Government to ask the Expert Group on Abortion to consider the option of holding a referendum to reverse the 1992 Supreme Court judgment in the X Case.

News • 06 Dec 12