The president of the Irish bishops’ conference used the 50th anniversary of the unlawful killing of 14 unarmed Catholics by the British army in Northern Ireland to criticize the fact that no one has ever been prosecuted.
Ireland
Northern Ireland Archbishop Expresses ‘Sadness And Loss’ On Partition Anniversary
During his New Year message, Ireland’s primate expressed his “personal sense of sadness and loss” at the partition of Ireland.
Northern Ireland Bishops Lament Defeat of Bill to Protect Disabled Unborn Children
Catholic bishops in Northern Ireland said the defeat of a bill that would have prevented late term abortions for non-fatal disabilities in unborn children “will send a message to all citizens that unborn disabled babies, are fundamentally less valued than those who are able-bodied.”
Irish Bishop: ‘Patience Is Wearing Thin’ Over Ban on Public Worship
Church leaders in Ireland are calling on the government to take the spiritual needs of the population into consideration, noting the country is the only one in Western Europe to continue to ban public worship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Knock Shrine Receives New International Status on Feast of St. Joseph
Pope Francis officially announced Ireland’s Knock Shrine as an international Marian and Eucharistic shrine on the feast of St. Joseph on March 19.
Ireland Could See Massive Drop in Numbers Going to Mass After Pandemic
Ireland could see the number of Mass-going Catholics drop by nearly a quarter when the COVID-19 pandemic ends.
John Hume, Who Helped Bring Peace to Northern Ireland, Dies at 83
Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Northern Ireland, has hailed political leader John Hume as a “paragon of peace” for his key role in bringing an end to the conflict in Northern Ireland.
N. Ireland’s Experience May Offer Insight Into U.S. Policing Issues
The U.S. demonstrations over police aggression toward minorities has an antecedent in Northern Ireland, according to a police commander in Salinas, California, who spent the first 10 years of his life in Northern Ireland in the midst of “the Troubles” there, then later wrote his master’s thesis on the applicability of its policing reforms to the United States.
Young People Will Need to Help Get Churches Ready for Mass, Irish Archbishop Says
Ireland’s top prelate is calling on “the younger members of our parishes” to help manage the transition back to full parish life and celebration of the sacraments as the island eases out of the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Priests in Ireland Under Pressure to Celebrate Funeral Masses During the Pandemic
Despite regulations established by civil and ecclesiastical authorities to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, many priests in remote areas of Ireland are feeling pressure to celebrate funeral Masses. In rural parishes, funerals are “big occasions for the community,” according to Father Brendan Hoban, co-founder of the Irish Association of Catholic Priests.