Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell's Christmas message

THE Archbishop of York is celebrating "the quiet power of ordinariness" this Christmas - and the key to "finding a way forward".

Stephen Cottrell is facing growing pressure to resign over his handling of an alleged sex abuser priest.

However, in a message written for The Press, Archbishop Stephen says Christmas brings a reminder that "in the prayer Jesus gave us, that we can find a way forward".

Archbishop Stephen is getting ready to take over the Archbishop of Canterbury’s official functions temporarily from January 6, and in his 2024 Christmas message says this time of year isn't all about grand gestures.

Writing in The Press he says: "There is brightness in the small, meaningful acts—sharing a meal, offering a kind word, or joining others in song.

"Perhaps this Christmas, we resist the urge for strawberries flown across the globe and instead embrace what’s local, simple, and sustainable—living more humbly in harmony with the planet.

"Over the years, we've encountered words like pandemic, perseverance, Goblin mode, and Rizz taking cultural centre stage.

"Yet, Christmas reminds us of the quiet power of ordinariness. There is brightness in the small, meaningful acts—sharing a meal, offering a kind word, or joining others in song.

For those left wondering, 'goblin mode' is a slang term that describes a type of behaviour that's unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, and slovenly, while also rejecting social norms.

And rizz is a shortened version of the word "charisma". It became popular online, especially on TikTok, where the hashtag "#rizz" has billions of views. 

Archbishop Stephen said: "For many this time of year is a time to look back, reflect, and ponder the year’s highlights.

"This year, the Cambridge Dictionary crowned "manifest" as the 2024 word of the year. Words are full of evolving meanings and traditions. In the 14th century, the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer spelled it as manyfest, meaning ‘easily noticed or obvious.’

"Today, it has grown to mean something much deeper—a belief in imagining and achieving your goals through faith and intention.

"Christmas itself feels like a manifestation—of love, hope, and joy. Yet, even during this season of light, we sometimes falter: choosing the wrong present, prioritising ourselves over others, or letting tasks slip through our fingers. But Christmas also brings a beautiful reminder: in the prayer Jesus gave us, that we can find a way forward."

Next year the Archbishop will be embarking on a journey of his own a 'Lord’s Prayer tour' through the cathedrals of northern England.

He ends his message: "I pray that we let the peace of Christ manifest in our lives and share it with all we meet. May His light guide us to love, generosity, and joy.

"Wishing you a blessed and joyful Christmas."

To find a service at a church near to where you live, visit www.achurchnearyou.com

Instagram 'Influencer for God' Catholic priest Hanno Rother gets suspended sentence over child abuse pictures

A Catholic priest, Hanno Rother, who called himself “church dude” and was popular on Instagram has been handed a suspended sentence after the authorities discovered thousands of child pornography images on his computer.

The self-styled "Influencer for God", who presented himself as the next generation's Catholic priest, from Recklinghausen, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, was found to have over 2,500 images of child porn on his machine.

The images were seized in his study, where local media speculated he also wrote his sermons. 

Thousands of them depict naked girls, the youngest perhaps nine years old.

Prosecutors said: "Several files show serious sexual abuse by men."

Paedophile Offender: Father Guy Hartcher

SV : NOTE : this is a posting that dates back to June of 2020....red flags all over the place in relation to this priest....ignored....roll on 4 and a half years later....

In cases of child sexual abuse, the child should always be listened to and believed. 

However, in the case of the Catholic Church, it was usually the priest’s word over the victim’s and their crimes would often be concealed to maintain the reputation of the church.

Father Guy Hartcher was one of many priests who benefited from this horrendous trend in the Catholic Church. Hartcher abused three teenage boys at St Stanislaus College in Bathurst, New South Wales, in the 1970s. 

He was never convicted of his crimes.

Instead, the Vincentian Fathers religious order paid off a survivor to keep quiet and never sue the church again.

Bishop Michael Malone then concealed this information from parishioners. Hartcher was allowed to go about his business unpunished. It was only when the media found out about Hartcher’s history in 2006 that he was given some form of punishment – a mere slap on the wrist compared to the seriousness of his crimes.

In this article, we shine a light on Hartcher’s dark, disturbing history, from the abuse at St Stanislaus College to his comfortable and undeserved retirement in Ashfield. Read on.

Hartcher’s career, studies, and movements in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s

Hartcher was not always a priest, but he was always a member of the Vincentian Fathers religious order (also called the Congregation of the Mission). 

In 1971, he completed training to become a Vincentian priest and got a job teaching at St Stanislaus College in Bathurst, New South Wales. 

He would have been 24-years-old at the time.

In 1974, the Vincentian Fathers organised for Hartcher to go overseas. He studied at the Catholic University in Washington DC. 

In the 1970s and 1980s, he also spent time at the Holy Cross College in Dunedin, New Zealand. Finally, he was listed as the rector of the Catholic Church’s St Francis Xavier Seminary in Adelaide, South Australia, in the 1994 Australian Catholic Directory.

Victim calls St Stanislaus College a “paedophile paradise” because of Hartcher

A victim is known only as “John” was abused when he was just 14-years-old at St Stanislaus College. Over time, John realised St Stanislaus (otherwise known as “Stannies”) was a hunting ground for paedophile priests, teachers, and staff members.

“We were all just kids at Stannies, a real smorgasbord,” he said.  

He also called the boarding school a “paedophile paradise”.

John recalled priests grooming students with pornographic material. Sometimes, the boys would hide from offending staff members in the school’s hallways. The boys felt like they were being hunted – fresh meat for the taking.

John also mentioned a teacher who was nicknamed “Toad” who would grab the students by the genitals when they answered questions wrong in class. It was a notorious and common punishment for the boys.

Later in life, John made a complaint about Hartcher and received compensation from the Vincentian Order of Priests. They also paid for John’s ongoing medical treatments related to the abuse from his childhood.

Trustees of the Vincentian Fathers paid out $40,000 to Stannies victim, Bishop Malone puts Hartcher in charge of multiple parishes

In 1994, the Trustees of the Vincentian Fathers reached a financial settlement with a former pupil of St Stanislaus College known as “Basil”. 

Basil was abused in 1971 when he was 14-years-old. He was 37-years-old at the time of the settlement.

In the Deed of Release, Basil said he had suffered loss and damage due to the abuse he experienced at St Stanislaus. He required ongoing specialist counselling and therapy to cope with what happened to him at Hartcher’s hands.

The Fathers agreed to give Basil $43,000. This covered his counselling and legal fees. The Fathers also signed off “without any admission of liability” and were released from further payment claims. Basil could not sue the Vincentian Fathers further and couldn’t ask for more compensation. 

The same year, Bishop Michael Malone moved Hartcher from St Francis Xavier Seminary in Adelaide and appointed him the head of the Gresford-Dungog parish in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese.

Bishop Malone knew about the settlement and the abuse at St Stanislaus College. The Gresford-Dungog parishioners, however, did not.

In 2004, the Newcastle Herald learned about the $40,000 settlement between Basil and the Vincentian Fathers. Bishop Malone realised the abuse allegations would soon go public, panicked, and preemptively released “A Message to Parishioners of Dungog and Gresford Parishes” relieving Hartcher from active ministry.

Bishop Malone did not reference the financial settlement. Instead, he mentioned criminal prosecutions in 1994. Neither of the two prosecutions ended in a conviction and Bishop Malone emphasised Hartcher “maintained his innocence”.

A seemingly innocent message to the parishioners, considering the seriousness of his crimes.

A few days later, Bishop Malone’s message to parishioners appeared on page one of the Newcastle Herald and he defended his appointment of Hartcher.

“I was also given many references in support of Father Guy and his ministry and he was also interviewed by a psychologist of the diocese who spoke to him at length prior to him engaging in ministry,” Bishop Malone said.

“So we were satisfied in the diocese that, with all the other bits and pieces that the Vincentians were able to supply about him, that he was a fit man for ministry. And I personally still believe that.”

Bishop Malone also said he didn’t believe it was his job to tell parishioners about the $40,000 settlement.

“I chose not to inform the people because I didn’t really think that needed to be done and a man was entitled to his own reputation in the eyes of the people,” Bishop Malone said. 

“If he chose to tell people, then that was his business about what had happened to him.”

Gresford community divided over the sacking of Hartcher, hold “thanksgiving mass” for him

Despite Bishop Michael Malone and the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese cutting ties with Hartcher in 2004, the Gresford community where Hartcher served decided to hold a “celebration of thanksgiving” mass for him in October 2006.

The Gresford community was divided about Hartcher’s sacking due to his leadership following the suicide of Gresford’s Michael Richardson, who also killed his wife Roxanne and two children, Luke and Grace.

“Guy stood tall and gave direction to a community that was shattered, and I mean totally shattered,” Gresford Congregationalist Reverend Michael McClure said. 

“The place stopped, and he was the only person to start the healing process again.”

Half of the Gresford community believed the issues surrounding child sexual abuse should have ended when Hartcher was not convicted in the 1990s.

“There are two different factions in town,” a resident of Gresford told the Newcastle Herald.

“I don’t want to get into any more arguments with people about it. I could give you the name of a person who thinks he’s a saint and a person who lives next door who thinks just the opposite, but I won’t because I don’t want any trouble.”

Hartcher still holds priestly status & lives comfortably in a Vincentian home

Hartcher continued to hold his priestly status long after the Newcastle Herald piece and Bishop Malone’s decision to cut ties with him.

In 2006, Broken Rites received an email from a man in Newcastle who claimed Hartcher conducted a funeral he attended.

According to the mid-2014 edition of the annual Official Directory of the Catholic Church in Australia, Hartcher was still living in a large Vincentian house with eight other Vincentian priests in Ashfield.

Priest on online grooming charge ordered away from kids

A priest, Guy Norman Hartcher, has been ordered to stay away from children after allegedly trying to meet a young teen boy for sex.

The 77-year-old retiree was bailed on strict conditions by a Sydney magistrate on Tuesday after being cuffed by police posing as a 14-year-old boy in Pendle Hill.

Police had been alerted by Facebook to the man's alleged sharing of child abuse material and used undercover officers to begin communicating with the ordained man.

He allegedly shared child abuse material with the "boy" before trying to meet up with him "for sexual activity" on Monday afternoon, police alleged.

"It's extremely serious," Sex Crimes Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty told reporters.

"There is no more serious or grave offence against a child."

Police are trawling through the man's digital storage devices for potential child abuse material.

The man has no prior convictions.

He declined to be interviewed after legal advice.

After an appearance at Parramatta Local Court on Tuesday on two child abuse charges, he was granted bail on six conditions.

Those include daily police reporting, no contact with any children aged under 16 and staying 500 metres from all schools and child care facilities.

He is next due to face Burwood court on January 8.

Trans priest shares vital message for LGBTQ+ Christians at Christmas

For many, Christmas is about getting together with loved ones, eating lots of food – LOTS – and watching the telly. But it can also be a really difficult time, especially for LGBTQ+ Christians.

People of faith who are also queer can experience physical, psychological and verbal abuse and micro-aggressions at the hands of unaccepting families and church communities who do not acknowledge or affirm their sexuality and/or gender. 

Rejection, deadnaming and relationships not being recognised are just some of the things LGBTQ+ Christians can face, leading to poor mental health and an overall sense of isolation.

In 2021, research carried out by PinkNews as part of our All I Want For Christmas Is To Be Myself campaign, showed that of the more than 7,500 readers surveyed, 82 per cent had to hide their LGBTQ+ identities during the Christmas period. Ten per cent said they planned to spend the holiday period alone.

Chris Grant, the founder of The Queer Therapist, said that while some comments made might be “overt transphobia or homophobia”, having to listen to smaller, but still bigoted, things throughout the day “can be extremely painful over an extended period of time”.

He went on to say: “What we’re doing when we’re going home to our families is returning to what is potentially a source of discomfort. That can throw up a lot of distressing feelings around loss and grief, attached to what we would have hoped we might have as children, teenagers or even as adults.”

Bearing that in mind, for the second successive year, PinkNews has asked Anglican priest Sarah Jones, the vicar at The City Parish of St John The Baptist, in Cardiff, and an honorary canon of Llandaff Cathedral, to write a special queer-inclusive Christmas message for LGBTQ+ people.

Jones was the first person who had transitioned to be recommended for training for ordination by the Church of England. She was ordained in 2004.

It’s a scandal that verbal and physical attacks based on sexuality, sex and gender still happen in our society. As an Anglican priest, one of the things that makes me angry and sad is that all too often members of the LGBTQIA+ community are treated worse in churches than they are in the rest of society.

If you have been treated badly by Christians because of your sex, sexuality or gender, let me say two things. First, I am sorry, and secondly: this is not acceptable.

Sadly, many people who use the Bible to criticise LGBTQIA+ people, have never actually read the passages they presume to be critical of us. Some have, but many haven’t.

The Bible does not mention homosexuality. That word was coined in the 19th century and only started appearing in bibles in the mid-20th century. Many Christians act as if they don’t know this.

The good news is that LGBTQIA+ people are more welcome in churches than you might think. Many Christians are not hung up on matters of sexuality and gender. Many churches are welcoming and ready to meet the real you.

Some years before I was ordained, I went to midnight mass with my new girlfriend in her home town. She wasn’t religious but she liked the thought of going to church at Christmas.

Just before the service started, four young lads walked in. They were dressed as Teletubbies. They had been drinking but they wanted to come to church. They removed their heads (which was a good thing to do!) and I was delighted that along with everybody else in the church that night, there was Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po.

It was a great sign that everyone was included and I was so pleased they felt able to attend.

Christmas is all about inclusion. If God exists (and I obviously think that God does exist) then Jesus coming into our world is a radical act. This is about the divine becoming human. Expectations are turned upside down as the creator of the universe is born into a poor family and shares his early days with animals.

As he grows up, Jesus spends his time with outcasts and those who are not highly honoured in his society. His message is that you matter, you have dignity and if you want to connect with God, you just have to decide to opt in.

So, if you would like to go to church this Christmas… DO! I gave the following tips in my article last year and as they are still good tips, I’ll repeat them.

• Find a church that will welcome you. Organisations such as Inclusive Church keep an online list of welcoming churches. Networks such as Open Table have regular services. Churches such as St James’s Piccadilly, St Mary The Virgin, in Oxford, and St John’s where I am the vicar are solidly inclusive.

• Many cathedrals are very welcoming. OneBodyOneFaith has resources and links to groups in many denominations. MCC Church nationally and The Gathering, in Cardiff, are deliberately LGBTQIA+ churches.

So, please don’t feel shut out. You are welcome. Go where you are wanted and loved. And if you really want to treat yourself, check out Jay Hulme’s poem Jesus at the Gay Bar.

CWI : Operation TRUTH (15) : No Room At The Inn

The grieving husband of recently deceased Bishop Pat Buckley is at the centre of a ‘No Room at the Inn’ row with the Catholic Church after being given just ONE MONTH to quit his home.

Eduardo Yanga was hauled before the courts this week and told by a judge he had a month to quit the mansion he had shared with Bishop Buckley in Larne for the last 14 years.

Twelve years ago — following a protracted courtroom battle over squatters’ rights — the Church agreed the controversial clergyman’s ‘estate’ could remain rent free in the former Parochial House until six months after his death.

The compromise was reached when Bishop Buckley claimed squatters’ rights after he was ousted from his post as parish priest of Larne by the Diocese of Down and Connor.

But on Monday in the Chancery Division of the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast, Mr Justice Huddleston, made it clear to Mr Yanga that any agreement his deceased husband had with the Catholic Church concerning the property didn’t automatically transfer to him.

And when Mr Yanga pleaded for an additional time to find alternative accommodation, the judge told him: “The reason I’m giving you a month is because it’s Christmas.”

After the case concluded, Mr Yanga, who is originally from the Philippines, spoke of his bitter disappointment at the ruling and he said he had been left with no alternative but to appeal it.

He said: “It may sound odd, but the night Pat died, he warned me I would come into real conflict with the Catholic Church over our home. He was having his usual nightcap of brandy and Benedictine. Suddenly he raised his glass and said the time will come when my feet will be in his shoes and I should be prepared to do battle with the Church.

“I told Pat I didn’t have the courage to take on the Church in the same way he did. But he raised his glass again and said. ‘We will see, we will see’. Hours later, Pat died in his sleep. And so our last meaningful conversation was about me finding the courage to fight the Church over my right to remain in the house which had been our home.''

“And guess what? Here I am. I’m determined to appeal it,” he said. 

Representing himself at a previous hearing, Mr Yanga asked Judge Huddleston that in the event of him appealing the case, would it be possible to have it heard before a court on the UK mainland, as he “didn’t believe it was possible for him to receive justice in this country”.

But the judge told him: “You’re being a bit premature, Mr Yanga.”

The dispute started in May immediately after Bishop Buckley’s death aged 72 when the Catholic diocese of Down and Connor serviced notice on Eduardo (46) to quit the large rambling villa at No. 6 Princes Gardens, which they had moved into after their marriage 14 years ago.

It was where Buckley went on to establish his own Independent Catholic Church in a converted stable at the rear of the property.

Buckley set up a small chapel where he officiated at numerous weddings and christenings for people who found themselves at odds with the mainstream Catholic Church.

In particular, he catered for members of the Travelling community and gay couples. They appeared more comfortable with Buckley’s less formal approach to religious matters. And in one stand-out case, Pat Buckley even agreed to marry a Belfast couple, using only their cats as witnesses.

Mr Yanga also said this week he was also bitterly disappointed by a recent decision by the Public Prosecution Service not to bring a case against his alleged attackers after he was assaulted in a bar near his home.

“I don’t think I’m being treated at all fairly by the authorities in Northern Ireland. Pictures showing my injuries appeared in the papers at the time. They show I was seriously injured. And funnily enough, the row erupted because some people took issue with my public statement that I intended to remain in the house which was home to Pat and I in Larne.''

“I honestly believe Pat is guiding me through the difficulties I’m currently facing with regards to the legalities surrounding my right to remain in the house and also the PPS decision not to prosecute my attackers,” said Mr Yanga.

He added: “I will be appealing both decisions. I’ve no other choice.”

NSW Police charge priest with child sex offences after he allegedly groomed teenage boy online

A retired Sydney priest has been charged with child sex offences after he allegedly groomed a 14-year-old boy online.

NSW Police arrested Guy Norman Hartcher in Pendle Hill around 12:15pm on Monday.

According to police, Facebook had identified an account sharing child abuse material overseas that was allegedly operated by the 77-year-old.

The account was shut down and referred to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, who referred it to NSW Police in early December.

An investigation into the religious leader was then launched under Strike Force Trawler.

Detectives purporting to be a 14-year-old boy allegedly communicated with Mr Hartcher on the internet.

Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty said in a press conference on Tuesday that Mr Hartcher allegedly shared "sexually explicit photographs and discussed in detail sexual acts he'd like to commit" with the teenage boy during the online conversation.

He allegedly organised to meet with the boy in Pendle Hill, where he was arrested by detectives.

Mr Hartcher was charged with use carriage service-procure under 16 years for sex with another and use carriage service to send indecent material to person under 16.

'There is no more serious or grave offence'

Superintendent Doherty said the alleged offences were "extremely serious".

"We have a 77-year-old male who we allege has turned up to meet a 14-year-old boy for sexual act. There is no more serious or grave offence against a child," she said.

Superintendent Doherty urged parents to be aware of who their children were communicating with online.

"The online exploitation of children is a very real thing in our community today," she said.

"Parents need to be aware of how easy it can be for their children to discuss online sexual acts with people that they do not know."

Mr Hartcher was previously the head priest of the Gresford-Dungog parish in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese.

He was refused bail and is expected to appear before Parramatta Local Court today.

Investigations under Strike Force Trawler continue.

Priest numbers down 51% in Cork and Ross since 2004

The number of diocesan priests in the Catholic district of Cork and Ross has reduced by more than 50% over the past 20 years, and moving forward more parishes will not have their own resident priest, Bishop Fintan Gavin has said.

The diocese, which is geographically the largest in the country, has an estimated population of about 280,000 Catholics, with average weekly Mass attendance of between 30% and 40%.

Cork and Ross currently has 70 priests assigned to its 68 parishes, and those parishes are organised in to 16 groupings, called families of parishes.

Of those 70 priests, 59 were ordained for ministry in the diocese, while the remaining 11 are on loan from other countries, from religious orders, or from missionary societies.

Some 37 of those diocesan priests were under 75 years of age, while 16 of them were under 65.

Bishop Gavin told The Echo that Cork and Ross had 122 diocesan priests in 2004, meaning that with 59 diocesan priests in 2024, their number has reduced by 51.6% over the past two decades.

He said this decline was due to a combination of deaths, retirements, and a decline in vocations.

“Many priests have died, some relatively young, others are now retired after long years of service, and we have not ordained many priests,” he said.

Bishop Gavin said that despite talk of the Catholic Church being in decline, the overall number of people who engage with it is still increasing, especially at what he called key life moments.

In 2023, there were 2,857 baptisms in Cork and Ross, while 3,706 children received First Holy Communion and 3,552 children were confirmed. There were 2,454 funerals in the diocese in 2023.

“They’re huge numbers, there’s huge work goes into supporting those [services], so trying to support that pastorally, sacramentally, is challenging, when you’re trying to preach the Gospel, make disciples, go on mission, which is what the Church is really about,” he said.

Bishop Gavin said that sometimes people come to the Church for a service rather than to have a real engagement and to help build up a faith community. “We’re trying to look at how we can encourage people to get more involved and engaged and to see this as their Church rather than somewhere they come to get a commodity,” he said.

“We’re asking, ‘What’s the parish about? And if we just keep doing that, will we actually have people in the parish?’

“If we’re not engaging, evangelising, getting new members to commit, to be disciples, will we have them in a generation’s time?”

He said the Church was facing several challenges, with those “who have been very faithful and supportive [wanting] to keep what they have — even if it is not sustainable. More parishes will not have their own resident priests. The priests we have cannot sustain an increased workload. We need to find ways to train, support and fund more positions for lay people to work in the Church,” he said.

“We need to encourage vocations to the priesthood.” Bishop Gavin said many good things are happening in Cork and Ross, with “green shoots” recognisable in the high proportion of immigrants wanting to be part of the Church, and he cited growing communities of Brazilian and Indian Catholics in the diocese.

He said there was a new generation of young people discovering the value of a Christ-centred faith, and he said a recent gathering of 160 young people in UCC was particularly heartening.

“We also had 60 young people, from student nurses to secondary school students all help out with our recent Lourdes pilgrimage, so of the 450 that went, 60 were young people, and there was a whole programme of formation and support with them,” he said.

NOLLAIG 2024 : DIOCESE OF DERRY

The last few years have been difficult for many people. 

There’s been the pandemic, there’s been the financial crisis, there’s homelessness for many, and broken relationships.

I know parents do great work at home in order to try and cheer up the children, but there’s lots of things hanging over us. 

And of course we’ve seen so much of war, particularly in the land where Jesus grew up. 

We’ve seen how high tech weapons have been used for the wanton slaughter of so many individuals, completely harmless and completely unarmed.

And yet there are many groups which do huge work to try and cheer everyone up.

There’s great generosity, there’s great charity, there’s great goodwill. There’s great quiet secret Santas who do lots of things in order to enable people to have pleasure at least for a couple of days over Christmas.

I’m still amazed that so many people come to the crib at Christmas. It’s more than just a nice little baby and shepherds. It’s a story of one who’s in solidarity with us in all the messiness of our lives. He, after all, was a nobody who had to flee from his home. He was under threat from an early stage in his life. It speaks of a God who somehow or other is still in solidarity with our broken world. 

And for me, the message of Christmas, the 12 days of Christmas that begin on December 25 and go through to January 6, the message of Christmas is that we can, if we work together, face the challenges of 2025.

Dark clouds hangover us. The sun of hope may be obscured very often, but together, if we pull together, if we are sensitive to one another in our predicaments and in our joys, then we can face what comes ahead; what’s facing us round the corner.

I hope you have a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year.

Donal.

NOLLAIG 2024 : Bishop Alan McGuckian SJ

As we celebrate the joy of Christmas, I send heartfelt greetings to all the faithful of our diocese, embracing the hope that Christ brings into our world. 

In this Jubilee Year of Hope, may the tender love of God shown by the birth of Jesus guide us, inspiring renewal and deepening our faith. 

I extend my deep gratitude to the clergy and our dedicated parish volunteers whose selfless service brings the warmth of God’s love to life in our community. 

May God’s abundant blessing be with you and your loved ones this Christmas and throughout the coming year.

NOLLAIG 2024 : DERRY & RAPHOE

Advent is a joyful season, a time when we look forward to Christmas and prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth – the moment when, as John writes, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us”.

In many of our homes and churches we put up cribs to remind ourselves of this extraordinary moment. These captivating nativity scenes – a baby lying in a stable, watched over by his devoted mother and father, as the three Magi pay homage and the shepherds look on – enthral children and stir something in many adults, as well. For a while, we, too, become onlookers.

And yet, how fully, I wonder, do we grasp the magnitude of what’s being celebrated?

For Christians, Jesus’s birth is one of the two greatest events in human history – and I use the term ‘human history’ quite deliberately. “‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son’, Matthew writes, ‘and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”).’”

Jesus came among us fully human and fully divine. He experienced the human condition in its raw completeness. His life story – an infant refugee growing up in an occupied land; witnessing poverty, inequality and oppression; experiencing injustice, persecution, bereavement, betrayal, mockery and abuse; feeling abandoned and, ultimately, suffering an unimaginably brutal death on the cross – means that Jesus endured many of the hardest trials that can befall humankind.

Whenever we feel lost or abandoned, when our world is in turmoil, when the valley is at its darkest, Jesus is the one constant we can turn to. He knows what suffering feels like. Our Lord’s birth, the Incarnation, is one of God’s greatests gifts to us. It allows Jesus to empathise with us, and he will never forsake us. God’s second great gift is, of course, the promise of eternal life for those who believe in him and follow his way.

This Advent, if you find yourself an onlooker at the Nativity scene, open your heart to the wonder at its core and experience the joy of Christmas in all its fullness.

I wish you every blessing this Christmas, and a happy and peaceful New Year.

NOLLAIG 2024 : GALWAY, KILMACDUAGH & KILFENORA

London has “Tower Bridge”. San Francisco, the “Golden Gate Bridge”. New York has the “Brooklyn Bridge”. Venice has the “Rialto Bridge” and Florence the “Ponte Vecchio”. 

Last April, the newest bridge in Galway got a name too – “Droichead a Dóchais” – the “Bridge of Hope.”  

Carrying pedestrians and cyclists, it stretches across the Corrib from Newtownsmith to the Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas.  I like the name “Droichead a Dóchais” – “The Bridge of Hope”.

This Christmas … Christmas 2024 … in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Francis will launch the year 2025, a Jubilee Year or a Holy Year. Such special years normally takes place every twenty five years. They offer us a time to reflect on an important aspect of the life of faith. 

During the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis has asked people to reflect on the idea of “Hope”… the desire that no matter how dark things get there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Today, our world is dark indeed. It is riven with anxiety and fear. War rages in so many places – even the land of Jesus’ birth is not spared such terrible suffering. Hatred and harsh talk abound. Poverty, hunger and homelessness are all about us. Sickness and depression are many people’s lot. The planet is in crisis and the human heart is restless in its search for something more.

An essential characteristic of being a Christian is the fact that no matter how dark things get – the Christian does not lose hope. The story of Christmas itself tells us that God comes close to us in our need. Divine Love instinctively seeks to reach out and help. In the gentleness of the Child of Bethlehem, God whispers to the frightened human heart – do not be afraid, trust in me, for together we can conquer all that weighs us down. Hold my hand and let 2025 be the year that together we cross our own “bridge of hope”. Cross our own “Droichead a Dóchais” over the troubled waters of our world and our own lives towards a better, brighter world and a more hope filled way of living.

Wishing you all God’s blessings this Christmas and a healthy and happy, hope-filled Holy Year 2025.

Guím Nollaig naofa, beannachtaí Íosa, Nollaig Chroíúil  agus athbhliain dhóchasach oraibh ar do chuid agus do chairde.

+Michael Duignan

Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh
Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora
Bishop of Clonfert

NOLLAIG 2024 : CLONFERT

London has “Tower Bridge”. San Francisco, the “Golden Gate Bridge”. New York has the “Brooklyn Bridge”. Venice has the “Rialto Bridge” and Florence the “Ponte Vecchio”. 

Last April, the newest bridge in Galway got a name too – “Droichead a Dóchais” – the “Bridge of Hope.”  

Carrying pedestrians and cyclists, it stretches across the Corrib from Newtownsmith to the Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and St Nicholas.  I like the name “Droichead a Dóchais” – “The Bridge of Hope”.

This Christmas … Christmas 2024 … in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Francis will launch the year 2025, a Jubilee Year or a Holy Year. Such special years normally takes place every twenty five years. They offer us a time to reflect on an important aspect of the life of faith. 

During the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis has asked people to reflect on the idea of “Hope”… the desire that no matter how dark things get there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Today, our world is dark indeed. It is riven with anxiety and fear. War rages in so many places – even the land of Jesus’ birth is not spared such terrible suffering. Hatred and harsh talk abound. Poverty, hunger and homelessness are all about us. Sickness and depression are many people’s lot. The planet is in crisis and the human heart is restless in its search for something more.

An essential characteristic of being a Christian is the fact that no matter how dark things get – the Christian does not lose hope. The story of Christmas itself tells us that God comes close to us in our need. Divine Love instinctively seeks to reach out and help. In the gentleness of the Child of Bethlehem, God whispers to the frightened human heart – do not be afraid, trust in me, for together we can conquer all that weighs us down. Hold my hand and let 2025 be the year that together we cross our own “bridge of hope”. Cross our own “Droichead a Dóchais” over the troubled waters of our world and our own lives towards a better, brighter world and a more hope filled way of living.

Wishing you all God’s blessings this Christmas and a healthy and happy, hope-filled Holy Year 2025.

Guím Nollaig naofa, beannachtaí Íosa, Nollaig Chroíúil  agus athbhliain dhóchasach oraibh ar do chuid agus do chairde.

+Michael Duignan

Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh
Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora
Bishop of Clonfert

NOLLAIG 2024 : ARDAGH & CLONMACNOISE

When I was appointed bishop of Ardagh & Clonmacnois by Pope Francis last year, I chose Deus Spes Mea – God is my hope, as my episcopal motto. 

A motto is defined in the dictionary as a brief statement used to express a goal or ideal. I chose it for a number of reasons, but most especially because it expresses what is at the heart of our Christian faith. 

Its core message is that God overcomes all obstacles through the fire of hope. We live in a troubled world where all around us there is difficulty and pain, so much so that at times we are inclined to despair. 

What is needed in all of us, you and me, and all those who believe in Christ is that fire of hope. This is the gift that we give to others and pass on to our children. 

The people who have gone before us have left us a legacy of perseverance in the faith, keeping Christian hope alive in their time. 

Now is our turn to persevere, so that this same light of hope shines from us. We do not know what the future brings, but we do know that the flame of Christian hope can continue to burn brightly, even in the most difficult situations. 

The beauty of the Christmas message is the hope that is found in this weak and vulnerable Christ child who has come to save us. 

We are reminded of the love that God has for each of us, that He is a kind and merciful God. 

We are reminded that despite the darkness that engulfs our world today, especially in the Holy Land, the light of hope, of faith will endure.

To quote Pope Francis: Let us exult in this gift of grace! 

Rejoice you who have abandoned all hope, for God offers you His outstretched hand; He does not point a finger at you, but offers you His little baby hand, in order to set you free from your fears, to relieve you of your burdens and to show you that, in His eyes, you are more valuable
than anything else. 

I wish every one of you a blessed, peaceful Christmas, full of the joy and peace that the Christ child brings into our lives.

Mourners outraged at horses seen trampling through Tipperary graveyard and defecating near resting places

Tipperary locals have hit out at the “disrespectful” sight of horses being allowed to wander around a local cemetery while families are laying Christmas wreaths.

Clonmel residents are now demanding that action be taken over an issue which has caused great offence locally – and is in clear breach of guidelines as to the operation of cemeteries.

Strict “no animal” rules are in place for all Irish cemeteries – with the only exceptions being special assistance dogs or horses that are harnessed to funeral carriages.

Horses wandering and grazing in the Clonmel cemetery has become an issue over recent years, but families were upset over recent weeks at the sight of horses in the graveyard in the run-up to Christmas when families are tending graves and laying Christmas wreaths.

In some cases, families were appalled to discover horse droppings and deep hoof prints near graves.

Locals now want a special ­cattle grid installed at the entrance to the cemetery to prevent stray or wandering animals from accessing it.

Councillor Richie Molloy warned that the issue is highly disrespectful and deeply upsetting for families visiting the graves of loved ones in the run-up to the festive season.

“I would say again to people that would consider bringing horses into a cemetery that it is very, very disrespectful,” he told TippFM.

“A number of older people have approached me on the matter.

“Especially now coming up towards Christmas, more and more people will be visiting the cemetery.”

Councillor Molloy raised the issue at the Clonmel borough council meeting – and warned that, after the issue had repeatedly occurred over the years, firm action now had to be taken with the installation of a special cattle grid.

He has also demanded that council staff visit the cemetery to see the issue for themselves.

“I asked (them) to go down to the cemetery and walk around,” he said.

“They would probably see the evidence for themselves. But it is something, I suppose, we will have to keep a close eye on,” Cllr Molloy added.

“Lots and lots of people visit St Patrick’s Cemetery so I’d say it to (people) that if they have seen any evidence to contact ­either myself or the council and that would be more evidence to support the idea of a cattle grid.”

Archbishop calls for ‘robust defences’ to fight the dark forces threatening Irish democracy

Without a vibrant democracy, dark forces will emerge to “exploit grievances and turn debate between opponents into a struggle against enemies”, the leader of the Catholic Church in Dublin has said.

Archbishop Dermot Farrell warned that a system of government and public administration was needed that provides “robust defences against those who target public figures for intimidation in person or on social media”.

He made his comments as churches and parishes across the country prepare for Christmas liturgies, traditionally the busiest time of the year for them.

Dr Farrell said that our system of government “must be seen to be capable of serving the common good” and meet “the needs of the people”. It must also produce outcomes that secure the dignity of all and “provide hope for a better future”.

A flourishing democracy, he said, also requires people who are willing to put themselves forward and accept the judgment of the electorate and “know how to live with one another and with political differences”.

Dr Farrell would not be drawn on the near-election of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch in his own parish. 

However, he said there was much to ponder from the election results, not least the level of turnout in the electoral process itself.

“No one can be sanguine at low levels of participation and all must be attentive to indications of alienation or disillusionment, as well as disenchantment with the democratic process,” he said.

In his wide-ranging comments, Dr Farrell said homelessness is “the most obvious and disturbing aspect of the housing crisis being experienced in Dublin”.

Noting that the Commission on Housing report outlined the many factors which have contributed to this and the need for an appropriately comprehensive response from the public authorities, Dr Farrell said Dublin diocese is making its own “direct response to homelessness”.

It is generally agreed that increased housing supply of all kinds is a critical ingredient in the response to the housing crisis

This is being done through the provision of a family accommodation hub by Crosscare, the diocesan social care agency, in the premises of the former Mater Dei Institute.

“Over the years, parishes and religious communities have made sites which were not required for mission available for housing development,” he said.

“It is generally agreed that increased housing supply of all kinds is a critical ingredient in the response to the housing crisis. I expect that over coming years, as parishes in the diocese assess what is required for ministry, opportunities will be identified to support housing provision.”

On the back of projections for the Dublin diocese that priest numbers are set to fall by 70pc by 2044, Archbishop Farrell acknowledged there is “clearly a major pastoral challenge”.

Only two priests have been ordained in the largest diocese in the country since 2020.

Dr Farrell said it would “soon” become “more acute” as the number of priests available in the diocese “reduces sharply”.

He conceded that the number of candidates for priesthood in Dublin in recent years has been “remarkably small”.

“It is not difficult to identify reasons why discerning a vocation to priesthood and acting on it may be difficult, given our history and the state of popular culture,” he said.

“What is equally clear is that the people of our diocese greatly value the ministry of our priests.”

He believes the church and the faithful need to become “more intentional about fostering vocations and encouraging those who may feel called to this ministry to come forward”.

This is not in any way to take from the unique importance of priesthood

The former president of the national seminary in Maynooth said he was aware of a number of young men who are trying to discern whether they have a vocation to the priesthood, and he is “very grateful” to priests who have come to Ireland from other countries.

But he stressed that while prayer for vocations to the priesthood should continue, “we must also foster ministry and service among all the baptised within a framework of co-responsibility”.

Describing himself as “very encouraged” by the hundreds of parishioners who have come forward for training in different aspects of ministry and to serve on parish pastoral councils and parish finance committees, he said there are many tasks which traditionally fell to the local priest to which many talented and committed lay people now undertake.

“This is not in any way to take from the unique importance of priesthood,” he said.

“The diocese has also continued to attract men as permanent deacons, an ordained ministry which was not present in Dublin before 2012.

“Overall, there are many grounds for hope and confidence that the spirit will enable the church in Dublin to develop its mission even as the pace of change continues to accelerate.”

Trump taps critic of Pope Francis for Vatican ambassadorship

President-elect Donald Trump said Friday that he is picking the head of a right-wing Catholic advocacy group and critic of Pope Francis to serve as ambassador to the Holy See, potentially teeing up tensions with the Vatican.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that Brian Burch, head of the group Catholic Vote, “loves his Church and the United States — He will make us all proud.” 

Trump also praised Burch for advocating for him and encouraging Catholics to vote for him in 2024.

Burch will face a Senate confirmation process, but it is unlikely he will encounter stiff resistance from Republicans, as his views aren’t considered controversial in the party.

Burch would be far from the first ambassador to the Holy See with a political background. 

Presidents from both parties have selected former elected officials who are practicing Catholics such as President Joe Biden picking Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana. 

Trump picked political activist Callista Gingrich in his first term. He also wouldn't be the first to have ideological or theological disagreements with the church.

But none of the picks to helm the Vatican to date would come into the role with as much a digital record of criticizing church leadership. 

On social media, Burch has criticized Francis’ leadership and shared the writings of some right-wing clerics who are critical of him. 

In 2023, he insinuated that church leaders were collaborating with controversial U.S. law enforcement probes into parishes that celebrated the Catholic Mass in Latin, a practice that was phased out decades ago for liturgy in local languages.

Writing on X, Burch said he is “committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new Administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good.”

Catholic Vote has engaged in tactics that have prompted criticism from more progressive factions of the U.S. church. 

In 2020, the organization used “geofencing” to identify Catholic voters who attended Mass in swing states and target them with ads boosting Trump.

At the time, Burch defended geofencing as needed to “reach our fellow Catholics in the pews” and “ensure that our fellow Catholic voters get the facts and hear the truth — not the latest lies peddled by the media.”

Pope sends letter to prison inmates: Welcome Jesus into your hearts

At the conclusion of a Mass with inmates at the Sollicciano prison in Florence, Italy, Archbishop Gherardo Gambelli read a letter from Pope Francis addressed to them. 

Cardinal Ernest Simoni also joined the Christmas celebration at the Florentine institution.

The Pope and the inmates

In his brief letter to the inmates, Pope Francis expressed his solidarity with them, assuring them of his “human and spiritual closeness.” 

Reflecting on the upcoming Christmas season, he encouraged the prisoners to trust in God as a merciful and good Father. The Pope invited them to “welcome Jesus who is born and fills our hearts with trust and hope.”

Pope Francis closed the letter wishing the inmates a Holy Christmas and peaceful New Year, and he extended his “fatherly blessing” “to the imprisoned brothers, to their families, and to the prison staff.”

Message of hope for the Holy Year

Reflecting on the reading for the day from Luke's Gospel, Archbishop Gambelli reiterated the message of hope tied to the nearing Jubilee Year. He encouraged the inmates with the image of the birth of Christ. 

This birth “took place in a difficult situation, of oppression, of poverty.” Yet through His birth, “the incarnate God brought light into all our histories.”

The Archbishop explained prison does not have to be a place without hope. Through trust in God, “prison can become the place where one finds peace in the heart,” he explained.

Cardinal Simoni: 28 years of imprisonment

Archbishop Gambelli used the example of Cardinal Simoni who suffered imprisonment and forced labor for 28 years under the communist regime in Albania. 

On Christmas Eve in 1963 he was arrested. 

After his release in the 1990s, he forgave his jailers and worked to promote reconciliation in post-Communist Albania. 

In 2016, Pope Francis made him a Cardinal.

“His presence here today among you recalls a shared suffering,” Archbishop Gambelli said, It “signals that the dignity of the person must always be respected in justice.” 

Moreover, the Cardinal’s story testifies to the importance of faith in challenging moments.

A Jubilee for prisoners

On December 26, Pope Francis will open a Holy Door at Rebibbia's New Complex prison in Rome. 

This event will mark the start of the Jubilee at the prison. 

Commander Sarah Brunetti explained the importance of the Pope’s visit. 

She described it as more than a job, it is “a vocation, and now, thanks to the Pope’s visit, it becomes a recognition of our commitment as a mission of mercy and hope.”

Vatican inaugurates new post office in St Peter's Square

A ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 19 in St. Peter’s Square inaugurated the mobile post office donated by Poste Italiane (the Italian Postal Service). 

Already operational, the office is designed to offer pilgrims and visitors exclusive postal and philatelic products.

Present for the event were Cardinal President of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, Cardinal Vérgez Alzaga, and the Director of Poste Italiane, Giuseppe Lasco, and Sister Raffaella Petrini, Secretary General of the Governorate.

The new Vatican Mobile Post Office will not only be for work or service, but will be a place where it is truly possible to “send, receive, meet and be met by God's announcements.”

The prayer of blessing

Inside the office, after the blessing, the President of the Governorate sprinkled the building with holy water.

Afterwards, a crucifix was affixed to the wall on the left side of the building and Cardinal Alzaga and Director Lasco signed the deed of donation from the Italian Post Office.

A place of service to communication and communion

During the dedication ceremony, Cardinal Alzaga reflected on the Annunciation in the Gospels.

The angel Gabriel, the one who ‘brings announcements, sent by God’ reaches ‘even the most insignificant places, like Nazareth’ and ‘even the smallest people, like Mary, the little one from Nazareth,’ the Cardinal said.

He entrusted all the employees, pilgrims, visitors and anyone else who will use the office to the Blessed Mother as "a place of service to communication and communion."

A sustainable and accessible office

Located on the left side of St. Peter’s Square, the new office has three workstations and is made of low environmental impact materials, including wood.

It replaces the previous office, which was established on December 20, 2010 and was decommissioned on December 5 this year.

Ready to welcome pilgrims, citizens and visitors, the new office, in addition to the traditional postal services, offers a space dedicated to the study of postage stamps and postal history.