Catholic Church

‘Rome’s serial “mishaps” in this area are neither stupid nor insane. They are about protecting itself’

Archbishop remembers growing up in Derry during the Troubles, and tensions between Church and IRA

Sinéad O’Shea returns to her home town to explore a time when many ordinary citizens submitted to an ‘empire designated to punishing girls’ - and a few rebelled

Calls grow for state inquiry after report accuses ex-head of bishops’ conference of shielding abusing priests

In a patriarchal world, entering a convent often granted a woman greater freedom than motherhood

Owners of The Irish Bar thought that Fr Michael Cusack’s emergency plea was a prank call

An inquiry dedicated primarily to one social class and exclusively to one religious denomination will be undermined before it even begins

Incidents of violence and vandalism against Christian clergy and sites on the increase

A persuasive argument

Recognising the values and goodness the Catholic Church brought to Ireland

It is sad to see Catholicism being treated with such disdain and disrespect

Visits to Sanctuary of Our Lady of Knock and speech at St Muredach’s Cathedral in Ballina show importance of faith to US president

US president identifies as Irish in America but he visits Ireland as an American, a foreigner, albeit one with close ties of affection

Pontiff calls on the world to ‘make haste to surmount our conflicts and divisions, and to open our hearts to those in greatest need’

Where people were raised by people with visible, sincere, practical faith, they were far less likely to lose their faith in God

‘Doctrine of Discovery’ enabled European conquests of Americas and Africas since 15th century

Takes from Anne Rice, Norman Mailer, Kahlil Gibran, Robert Graves, Philip Pullman and more Jesus as, variously, divine, mortal and conflicted

Emer McLysaght: As a child, the Stations of the Cross was like a horrifying over-18s miniseries

Author chronicles how the Church has become politically powerful in recent decades but fails to speak to bishops or lay Catholics about their intentions

Because congregation has failed to appoint nominee, legal papers in historic abuse cases are sent to all remaining brothers from the time, causing huge stress

The typical offenders are not the rough soldiery but well-educated members of the officer class

A TV documentary and book allege Cardinal Karol Wojtyla was aware of clerical sexual abuse cases before he became pope in 1978

North still lacking ‘an authentic and honest critique of the past’, says Catholic Primate

A Dutch journalist says he is the victim of a character assassination because of his book about the late pope

St Enda’s National School, Whitefriar Street is to become multidenominational Community National School as part of patronage reconfiguration project

Mourners at special mass of remembrance hear Dave O’Connell was ‘extraordinary person’ committed to poor in LA

Claimants have to serve papers on hundreds of Brothers because the congregation chooses not to appoint a nominee

Landlord as villain became embedded in the folk tradition; the growing desperation of 21st century tenants and would-be owners is likely to sink this Government

The Burke family believe what Bunreacht na hÉireann says we’re all supposed to believe. Let's drop God from our Constitution

A new book and television documentary claims that the then cardinal Karol Wojtyła was not just aware of priests who sexually abused children – he covered up for them

Church must offer an alterative to contemporary values if it wants to help teenagers grappling with anxiety and frightening levels of meaninglessness

Department of Defence argued humanist chaplain could undo years of work by army chaplains with religious fundamentalists in Lebanon

Parents in a Dublin suburb say a process to transfer a Catholic school to a multidenominational patron was badly managed, divisive and lacked transparency

Nearly 5,000 documented cases are only ‘tip of iceberg’, says investigating commission

He quickly adopted a lifestyle reminiscent of his humble beginnings in Buenos Aires, seeking to make the Catholic Church less ‘eurocentric’

Liberal reform documents passed by assembly of bishops and lay Germans

Across the world Catholics have come together to discuss their relationship with the church and voice concerns

Republicans claim justice authorities not acting fairly to conservative Catholics

One of Ireland’s longest serving priests, ordained 72 years ago, believes the laity will play a key role in the Catholic Church

Senior clergy call for a referendum to amend the constitution to provide for an ‘explicit right to housing’