Catholic Arena

THE IRISH CATHOLIC PRIEST AT THE CENTRE OF WORLD CUP CELEBRATIONS If you have been watching social media for the past couple of weeks, you will have seen the amazing scenes coming from the World Cup in North America Some of the most amazing have been in Times Square on New York, where they fans have been surrounded by a statue of the most decorated chaplain in US history That man is an Irish priest born in North America named Father Francis Duffy Duffy was born in Ontario, Canada in 1871 to Patrick and Mary Duffy His grandparents had hailed from Monaghan and Roscommon and had left Ireland during the mass starvation of the 1840s and 1850s Duffy studied at Saint Joseph's Seminary in New York He was an accomplished student, teacher and priest, earning a doctorate from the Catholic University of America and founding a parish in the Bronx His later involvement in the armed forces would define his priesthood When World War I broke out, Duffy was chaplain for the Irish American Fighting 69th Brigade, composed of men from the Bronx Duffy was revered by the men, he accompanied them with hearing confessions and administering Last Rites Fr. Duffy was more than just a chaplain He was beside them in the trenches with the men and was amongst them as they fought and in many cases, died General Douglas McArthur once said that Duffy was even considered for the role of commander Fr. Duffy was known for hosting long confession lines at the trenches and for recovering bodies from No Man's Land Following his military career, Duffy helped politician Al Smith in his political career Al Smith was the first Catholic to be nominated for President and was subjected to horrific anti Catholicism and anti Irish racism Smith was able to leverage their friendship and point out Duffy's patriotism to critics of Catholicism 25,000 people attended Duffy's funeral in 1932 He was described as 'a priest, a scholar, a soldier. His name had become a household word, because of the nobility of his life and the valor of his deeds. Thousands looked up to him and he was venerated by many' In 1937, the statue of Father Francis Duffy was unveiled in Times Square in New York It is fitting that this great man, who embodies the greatness of the story of America should be at the centre of the celebrations of people from all across the world @CatholicArena

June 18th 1994 6 Catholics were murdered by the UVF in Loughlinisland as they watched Ireland defeat Italy at World Cup 1994 A 2016 ombudsman report found that there was police collusion in the aftermath and a 2017 documentary claimed that one of the killers was a serving British soldier while another was a police informer @CatholicArena

🚨 🇵🇸 Cardinal Pizzaballa is in Gaza today with His Beatitude Theophilos III @CatholicArena

IRELAND 🇮🇪 Politician Darragh O'Brien has spoken proudly about his decision to REMOVE the three day wait for abortion, which had saved 10,000 lives so far O'Brien recently finished his disastrous stint as housing minister in which home ownership actually fell, with young Irish people completely squeezed out of the market and foreign ownership of Irish houses dramatically rising compared to native ownership O'Brien's stark failure is a core reason why birth rates continue to PLUMMET across the country @CatholicArena

IRELAND 🇮🇪 Politician Ruth Coppinger is bringing forward a bill to allow for an 'X' on birth certs for 'non binary' and 'intersex' people @CatholicArena

IRELAND 🇮🇪 Abortion campaigners singing abortion carols @CatholicArena

🚨 Irish politicians have voted to make the country's abortion laws EVEN MORE EXTREME by REMOVING the 3 day wait period The wait has saved over 10,000 loves so far The bill will now progress where it will have late term abortion and other barbaric additions @CatholicArena

Pope Leo XIV's Spain visit raised more than €165 million for the local economy @CatholicArena

A disturbing video has resurfaced of Irish deputy leader Simon Harris involuntarily rolling his eyes into the back of his head and grinning Listen to what made him react this way Tonight he will vote to remove the three day wait for abortion @CatholicArena

Irish politicians will vote today in REMOVING the 3 day wait for abortion in an effort to INCREASE annual numbers Controversial politician Roderic O'Gorman has ADMITTED that the move is designed in part to resurrect last months controversial late term abortion legislation 'Those issues are not addressed in tonight’s Bill and I will look to bring forward or support amendments if this Bill moves through the House, which I hope it does' @CatholicArena

'It's a bit like the GPO in 1916' Ruth Coppinger talking about the Repeal of the 8th Amendment and legalisation of abortion in Ireland @CatholicArena

UKRAINE 🇺🇦 The Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Kulbokas, has spoken out about the Russian strike on the historic Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv: 'This bombing encourages us to pray for the conversion of those responsible for this war and every war' @CatholicArena

IRELAND 🇮🇪 Politician Neale Richmond tonight said that he is DELIGHTED that the government supports the International Planned Parenthood Federation Richmond also BRAGGED about DOUBLING the Irish taxpayer money given to Planned Parenthood @CatholicArena

🚨 Pope Leo XIV has spoken out about the impending SSPX consecrations in Switzerland: 'We are still considering making another appeal, to say ‘do not do this, let us try to live in communion in the Church.’ But it is their choice. We must realize what it means for them and for the Church. Certainly, division among Christians is always a painful point, but they refuse to accept certain fundamental elements of the Church, starting with various points of the Second Vatican Council. If they make that choice, I am sorry, but we must move forward' @CatholicArena

IRELAND 🇮🇪 Ireland's leaders Micheal Martin and Simon Harris will both vote to REMOVE the three day waiting period for abortion, despite it saving THOUSANDS of lives so far 1 in 6 Irish babies are now aborted, with over 50,000 destroyed since it was legalised @CatholicArena

🇸🇦 🇧🇭 🇰🇼 🇶🇦 SAUDI ARABIA, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar were all CONSECRATED TO THE SACRED HEART on June 12th by the bishops of the Vicariate of Northern Arabia @CatholicArena

GERMANY 🇩🇪 The Catholic Women's Association of Germany (KFD) has DEMANDED that abortions be carried out at Catholic hospitals The group also called for free contraception and launched a bizarre tirade against 'so-called "pro-lifers"' who are 'völkisch-nationalist/racist, homo-and transphobic, or downplay the Holocaust' @catholicarena

UKRAINE 🇺🇦 The historic Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv was struck by Russian drones last night, causing significant damage and killing 4 people The Cathedral is part of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Monastery complex @CatholicArena

IRELAND 🇮🇪 Ireland's Catholic Bishops have issued a very DIRECT message on the Irish establishment's attitude to the sanctity of life: • Asked why Covid was a public health emergency but 50,000 abortions are not • 'Neither the State, nor the mainstream media, seem to have any interest in exploring what leads women to choose abortion or what happens to them afterwards' • Encouraged Catholics to support those in crisis pregnancies • Backed politicians who defend life • SLAMMED efforts by Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats to expand abortion @CatholicArena

Natalie Abudayyeh is a Christian student and Palestine women's team footballer who has been arrested by Israel. Pray for her 🙏 @CatholicArena