Michael Kelly

In his native Argentina, Pope Francis' vision of "a poor church, for the poor" is a reality.

"Padre Jorge," as locals refer to him, is remembered fondly. "He used to come here to be with us often," according to Nipo Chan, an elderly guest of the soup kitchen whose parents came as immigrants from Japan before World War II.

The head of the Jesuits in Ireland has said he is "ashamed" at the order's failure to confront abuse after the release of a new report revealing 93 complaints of sexual, physical and emotional abuse against a now deceased priest.

The Irish prelate credited with being among the first to tackle the clerical abuse crisis head-on said he did not believe there will be women priests in the Catholic Church in his lifetime.

A spokesman for Ireland's deputy prime minister referred to Pope Francis' famous line "Who am I to judge?" after a priest said the politician would go to hell if he did not repent for being gay.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it is investigating a possible crime after an image of Pope Francis was burned in a bonfire.

 Leaders of Ireland's Christian churches vowed to face "difficult truth" and work closer together to ensure that the fragile peace process in Northern Ireland leaves a lasting legacy of reconciliation.

The ceremony is due to be held on Oct. 21, and to be attended by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Irish President Michael Higgins. However, Higgins has now pulled out of the event, claiming that it had been "politicized.

Catholic bishops in Northern Ireland warned that unilateral moves by the British government to force Northern Ireland's Department of Health to introduce abortion services threaten the region's peace process.

A coroner in Northern Ireland ruled that a priest and nine lay Catholics who were shot dead by British troops almost 50 years ago were "entirely innocent" and their deaths were unjustified.

The head of the Irish bishops' conference said the government's move to criminalize attendance at Mass as part of COVID-19 regulations was a "potential infringement of religious freedom and of constitutional rights."

Ireland's Catholic bishops plan to hold a synod within the next five years to — among other things — hear from people who were raised Catholic but have walked away from the church.

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. Hume, 83, died early Aug. 3, his family said in a statement.

Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Northern Ireland, has welcomed a new political agreement that restores the suspended democratic institutions set up as part of the peace process in Northern Ireland.

More than 10 years after its final report, the commission set up by the Irish government to investigate claims of abuse in religious-run institutions has admitted that it overestimated the number of children in the homes.

Three Irish newspapers have apologized and paid compensation to a former seminarian after admitting they falsely claimed he was expelled from formation after being found in bed with another seminarian.

A prominent survivor and advocate for those affected by clerical abuse has urged Pope Francis to publicly name bishops who have been found guilty of negligence by church tribunals.

Although Ireland's new abortion law takes effect Jan. 1, by mid-December only 8 percent of family doctors had signed up to provide the terminations.

President Michael Higgins of Ireland described the treatment of women and children in state-controlled institutions managed by the Catholic Church as a "deep stain on Ireland's past."