# Catholic Church

All time

# across the chamber

Leo Varadkar apologises for Dáil comments about priests sinning behind the altar

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin was the target of Varadkar’s comments and he’s now responded to the apology.

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Jul 4th 2019, 9:56 PM

# witness statements

France begins its independent inquiry into Catholic Church sex abuse

Thousands are expected to contact the hotline, while face-to-face interviews with victims will be held at a later date.

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Jun 3rd 2019, 6:30 PM

# Diarmuid Martin

Archbishop says Dublin drug cartels will be stopped from 'exploiting' religious services

He said that religious services would no longer be used to “glorify” Dublin drug cartels’ images.

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Jun 3rd 2019, 3:56 PM

Voices

Opinion: Are we ready to let go of the Catholic Church's rituals?

Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage and Burial are now rites of passage but do we understand their theological foundations, writes Shane Dunphy.

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May 19th 2019, 8:30 PM

# Your Say

Poll: Would you support an opt in approach to sacraments in Catholic schools?

A recent survey shows Catholic schools want preparations for Confirmations and Communions to take place outside the classroom.

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May 15th 2019, 10:13 AM

# Catholic Church

Pope issues law requiring Catholic clergy members to report sex abuse - but not to police

The law declares that anyone who has knowledge of abuse is obliged to report it to the Church.

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May 9th 2019, 11:25 AM

# easter bombings

Death toll from Sri Lanka Easter bombings revised down by over 100

Two sons of a wealthy Sri Lankan spice trader are among the suspected suicide bombers.

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Apr 25th 2019, 6:45 PM

# bessborough

Diarmuid Martin: 'It's hard to believe that evidence has simply vanished and that no one can remember'

He called on the Church to avoid returning to attitudes it had shown in the past.

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Apr 18th 2019, 2:01 PM

# sex abuse scandals

Ex-pope Benedict XVI blames clerical sex abuse on 1960s sexual revolution

Benedict has written a 6,000-word essay for Klerusblatt, a German monthly magazine for clergy.

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Apr 11th 2019, 9:01 PM

# divestment

Archdiocese postpones vote on patronage of Dublin schools, citing 'confusion' about Church celebrations

It was claimed earlier this week that pupils would not celebrate Christmas at Educate Together schools.

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Apr 5th 2019, 6:35 PM

# Catholic Church

Claims that children can't celebrate Christmas at Educate Together schools 'incorrect and misleading'

It has been claimed by one gaelscoil that Irish greetings like dia duit would no longer be allowed.

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Apr 2nd 2019, 3:24 PM

# Ricardo Ezzati

Pope accepts resignation of Chile cardinal over sex abuse cases

Ricardo Ezzati, archbishop of Santiago, is the highest-ranking Catholic official in Chile.

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Mar 23rd 2019, 5:52 PM

# Fr Patrick Peyton

'The Rosary is a weapon': New documentary reveals how a CIA-funded Irish priest fought Communism

Fr Patrick Peyton taught Americans to recite the Rosary from the 1940s onwards.

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Mar 20th 2019, 6:20 AM

# cardinal barbarin

Pope rejects resignation of French cardinal convicted of sex abuse cover-up

France’s highest-ranking Catholic official failed to report sex abuse by a priest.

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Mar 19th 2019, 4:14 PM

# New Zealand

Diarmuid Martin expresses concern over 'anti-Islamic sentiments being expressed in social media in Ireland'

Martin said that some of this anti-Islamic sentiment came from publications “purporting to be of Catholic inspiration”.

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Mar 15th 2019, 4:13 PM

# Cardinal Philippe Barbarin

French cardinal given six-month suspended sentence for helping to cover up child abuse by priest

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin failed to report the abuse of a child between 2014 and 2015.

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Mar 7th 2019, 10:13 AM

Voices

Opinion: Is the Catholic Church still covering up child sex abuse on the grounds that it is a 'pontifical secret'?

The summit heard that the canon law protection of ‘pontifical secret’ had been applied to numerous clerical abuse cases. Bizarrely, it was suggested that this practice should not continue – indicating that it is ongoing. writes Shane Dunphy.

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Mar 3rd 2019, 8:30 PM

# Church

Australian Cardinal George Pell found guilty of sexually assaulting two choirboys

He has now become the most senior Catholic cleric ever convicted of child sex crimes.

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Feb 26th 2019, 7:08 AM

# Sex Abuse

Top Catholic cardinal admits Church files on sex abuse were 'destroyed'

The cardinal was speaking at a landmark Vatican summit on tackling sex abuse in the clergy.

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Feb 23rd 2019, 12:21 PM

# Catholic Church

Cases of sex abuse by priests in Poland exposed in new report

The document details the cases of 85 priests convicted of paedophilia.

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Feb 22nd 2019, 9:34 AM

# Theodore McCarrick

Vatican defrocks former cardinal over sexual abuse of teenager in US

It is the first time a cardinal has ever been defrocked for sex abuse.

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Feb 16th 2019, 9:50 AM

# Blessed

Sealed with a kiss: This to-be-wed couple is getting some help from St Valentine

The couple were blessed by a bishop in front of the saint’s shrine.

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Feb 12th 2019, 7:30 PM

# Josepha Madigan

Culture minister: 'Glass ceilings are being broken in many sectors - so why not in the Church?'

The event had to be rescheduled after complaints made to the original venue because of the minister’s role in the Repeal campaign.

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Feb 12th 2019, 8:03 AM

# Marie Collins

Campaigner calls on Catholic Church to remove 'vagueness and ambiguity' from response to child abuse

A Protection of Minors meeting is due to take place in the Vatican later this month.

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Feb 2nd 2019, 6:00 AM

# Catholic Church

Catholic diocese in Texas publishes list of 300 priests accused of sexual abuse

The diocese says it’s part of an effort to bring about the restoration of trust.

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Feb 1st 2019, 7:20 AM

# Josepha Madigan

Nuns withdraw offer of venue for Minister's speech after threats of protest

Many of those protesting referring to her support for the Repeal campaign.

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Jan 23rd 2019, 11:38 PM

# Our Lady of Lourdes

Most people don't support changing hospital names to remove religious references

Locals recently protested the proposed name change of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

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Jan 14th 2019, 12:05 AM

# Illinois

Almost 700 clergymen accused of child sex abuse in US state - far more than was disclosed by Church

The state’s attorney general said it was clear from its investigation that the “Catholic Church cannot police itself”.

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Dec 20th 2018, 7:04 AM

# Church Scandal

US archdiocese to file for bankruptcy as it faces litany of lawsuits over sexual assault by priests

It is among several American to have filed for bankruptcy protection in recent years.

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Dec 1st 2018, 9:20 AM

# World Meeting of Families

Priests told to have another national collection to help make up €4m deficit in fundraising for Pope visit

Bishop Kevin Doran blamed negative media coverage in the run up to the event for the shortfall.

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Oct 30th 2018, 12:00 PM

# Pennsylvania

US opens national investigation into alleged abuse carried out by more than 300 suspected priests

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has confirmed that it will ‘cooperate’ with the federal investigation.

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Oct 19th 2018, 7:30 AM

# holy cross college

GAA to buy former seminary beside Croke Park from Dublin Archdiocese

The building and its adjoining land, which date from the 19th century, are to be sold for the development of housing, hotel and sports facilities.

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Oct 11th 2018, 10:45 AM

# exorcism

Bishop setting up group to fight off 'evil forces' and recite prayers of exorcism

Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan said the ministry group will pray and recite the prayers of exorcism.

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Oct 10th 2018, 9:16 AM

# Theodore McCarrick

Vatican refutes claims that Pope Francis covered up US cardinal's misconduct

Pope Francis approved a study into how the US cardinal rose through the ranks of the Catholic Church despite allegations against him.

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Oct 8th 2018, 10:39 AM

# Apology

Germany's Catholic Church has apologised for 'failing' to deal with sexual abuse and 'the pain' it caused

A new report by the Church in Germany showed that nearly 3,700 minors were assaulted between 1946 and 2014.

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Sep 25th 2018, 10:44 PM

# mother and baby home

Taoiseach to meet Catherine Corless after 'paying respects' at Tuam site

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil today that he made a private visit to Tuam on his way home from a conference in Galway recently.

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Sep 25th 2018, 9:26 PM

# Clerical Sex Abuse

Catholic Church in Germany 'ashamed' after report highlights scale of sexual abuse and cover up

Over 3,600 children were abused over the course of seven decades, the report found.

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Sep 12th 2018, 7:51 PM

# Catholic Church

Number of sex abuse cases against the Chilean clergy has tripled to 119

A total of 167 bishops, priests and lay members of the church are now under investigation for sexual crimes committed since 1960.

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Aug 31st 2018, 10:48 PM

# Mandatory reporting

Catholic leaders in Australia reject calls for priests to disclose abuses told during confession

The Catholic Bishops Conference said making it a requirement to report what was said in confession impinged on religious liberties.

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Aug 31st 2018, 7:37 AM

# Church Abuse

Explainer: What do the survivors of Catholic Church abuse want from the Vatican?

The papal visit saw many headlines about clerical abuse and about how survivor groups were unhappy with the Church’s response to it.

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Aug 28th 2018, 12:05 AM