According to the Iona Institute's analysis of Census 2016, 6 per cent of professional workers were separated or divorced compared with 18 per cent of unskilled workers.

In Ireland, the Society of St Vincent de Paul receives more than 130,000 calls for assistance a year – about 11 percent more than it did five years ago.

“I would be particularly cautious about protesting against GPs because everybody is going there, and people go there for all sorts of reasons.”

The victims were Ethiopians migrants attempting to escape poverty in their home country by making their way via Libya to Europe.

Removing a reproductive organ incapable of bringing a pregnancy to term should not be qualified as direct sterilisation, says the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

“Catholics and people who hold that all human life is sacred from the first moment of conception have no obligation whatsoever to obey this law.”

“In 2019, we are building a movement of people who want to help tackle human rights abuse around the world.”

“The worst thing about excessive drinking is not the men it makes drunk but the children that it makes afraid.” – Fr Barney McGuckian

“Are you seriously telling me that all these Sisters were all evil psychopaths? That is not my experience.”

Msgr Kelly, formerly the vicar general and parish priest of Killsherdany and Drung, Co. Cavan, said he was honoured to accept his new role, and would endeavour to serve the diocese until a new bishop is appointed.

Focus Ireland said homelessness in Ireland has risen to unprecedented levels.

Politicians who supported the campaign to repeal the Eighth Amendment are “clearly out of communion” with the Church warns Bishop Kevin Doran.

Priests, religious, and lay people share the same daily life as the common people, bringing them the witness of love and service as a sign of hope and peace.

Archbishop Eamon Martin warns “There can be no going back to the days of violence and death on our streets” as he appeals to politicians to “reject divisive language and actions” during 2019.

“Bishop Leo has worked untiringly with many others to bring the various stakeholders within the Catholic educational sector into dialogue, and promoted increased co-operation and collaboration.”

The beloved hymn written by Austrian priest Fr Joseph Mohr was first performed in December 1818.

Large parts of the route will be mapped in 2019 and a smartphone app will be launched in mid 2019 that will allow pilgrims to negotiate the pilgrim trail.

Any sense that abortion is a progressive step for our country, for what we stand for as a nation, is misplaced, says Bishop Brendan Leahy in end of year reflection.

President of the Sudanese Catholic Bishops’ Conference is cautiously optimistic over peace agreement but appeals for prayers and support for “salvation of South Sudan”.

With Christianity on the verge of extinction in its birthplace, it is time for concerted action that begins to turn the tide, says British Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

“In the early New Year I will plan for further meetings to enable meaningful and constructive engagement with survivors and others in advance of the Rome convention,” says Archbishop Eamon Martin.

Don’t exchange unwanted Christmas gifts. Bring them to Pro-Cathedral – Crosscare.

“I’m not sure whether the government are saying that there is no place for Christians within medicine and if that is the case I don’t think that’s a very positive direction for Ireland to take,” says Pentecostal pastor.

While there was much debate as to the numbers of pilgrims who attended the events of WMOF between 21 and 26 August 2018, the figures collated as WMOF wound down its operations show that 499,000 attended the wide variety of events.

In Syria there is no place for the usual consumerist frenzy, so the lights of the Christmas tree and the Christmas crib have once more become a sign of salvation. Aid to the Church in Need charity, which works with people in Syria, stated that many families there are in makeshift shelters, just like the Holy Family in Bethlehem.

In his traditional Christmas day Urbi et Orbi message, the Pontiff prayed that Syrians might “find fraternity after long years of war” and that Yemen’s recent truce would bring relief to its people and children “exhausted by war and famine”.

So many persons stop every Christmas before the mystery of God made man, represented in the crib with statuettes, which in many cases are authentic masterpieces of art to pray, to reflect and to discover the love of God who becomes a child for us – Archbishop Rino Fisichella.

Archbishop Eamon Martin urges people to continue to witness to the fact that there are two lives worthy of protection.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin ponders implications of Irish people’s expressed concern that the celebration of Christmas has become too commercial.

Parishioners have invoked a medieval law that prevents civil authorities entering a building where a religious service is ongoing.