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Demand that Palantir contracts are cancelled

Dear ICN Readers The British government is handing huge sums of public money to Palantir, a notorious US corporation that supplies Israel with AI and surveillance technology used as an essential part of its genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Yesterday evening, we protested at Palantir's secret reception, with politicians and senior civil servants, hosted to celebrate winning a £240... Read More


St Valentine's Day events in Dublin and Belfast

Shrine of Saint Valentine at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Whitefriar St, Dublin

There will be the Blessing of an engaged couple on the eve of St Valentine's Day, Friday 13 February at 2pm a the Shrine of the holy relics of Saint Valentine in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Whitefriar Street, Dublin. Following the blessing, Bishop Denis Nulty will celebrate Mass at 3pm. This service will be livestreamed at 2pm on the Irish Catholic Bishops' Facebook page. Following the bless... Read More


Pope Leo: the Word of God responds to our thirst for meaning

Pope blesses one of the youngest pilgrims yesterday. Image: Vatican Media

The Word of God speaks to the life of every faithful person, as it puts us in dialogue with the Lord, and fuels the Church in its mission, Pope Leo XIV said during the Wednesday General Audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall yesterday. "The Word of God responds to our thirst for meaning, for the truth about our life," Pope Leo said. "We live surrounded by so many words, but how many of these are e... Read More


Cardinal from Mongolia visits Stockport

Cardinal Marengo at St Peter's, Stockport

Missio has been delighted to host His Eminence Cardinal Giorgio Marengo IMC, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia recently. On Wednesday 4 February he received a wonderful welcome from Missio supporters and volunteers at St Peter's Catholic Church in Stockport, Greater Manchester. There, he celebrated a special Mission Mass and gave a fascinating talk on mission in a country where, before 1... Read More

India: Canon Law for the Laity Convocation Ceremony

Awards ceremony

Rev Dr Merlin Rengith Ambrose DCL writes: The Commission for Canon Law in the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) celebrated the successful conclusion of its one-year international 'Diploma in Canon Law for the Laity for a Synodal Church' with a convocation ceremony in Bangalore on February 8, 2026 in which all the participants were awarded a diploma in Canon Law by Most Rev Dr S Anton... Read More


Gospel in Art: A woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit

Mother and Child,  by Pablo Picasso,  1921, oil on canvas  © Alamy / Art Institute of Chicago

Gospel of 12 February 2026 Mark 7:24-30 At that time: Jesus arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the... Read More


Buddhist monks complete walk across America for peace

Photo by Nils Huenerfuerst on Unsplash

A group of Buddhist monks, accompanied by a rescue dog named Aloka, completed a 109 day, 2,300 mile (3,700km) Walk For Peace from Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhavana Centre in Fort Worth Texas, to Washington DC yesterday. Inspired by their faith, the aim of the walk was to raise "awareness of peace, loving kindness, and compassion across America and the world." The Walk For Peace began on October 2... Read More


Bishop Hudson: 'We must not return to an unchecked arms race'

Photo by German Krupenin on Unsplash

Bishop Nicholas Hudson, the Lead Bishop for Conflict and Peacebuilding and the Chair of International Affairs Department at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, has commented on the recent expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), the last remaining major nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and... Read More


Venezuela: Bishops call for release of all political prisoners

Procession in Venezuela Image © ACN

Venezuela's bishops have called for the release of all political prisoners as part of a plea for the country to embrace "forgiveness and reconciliation". The urgent request came as part of a wide-ranging entreaty for national reconciliation, solidarity with the poor and "promotion of the common good" issued on Monday (9th February) at the close of the plenary meeting of the Episcopal Conference of... Read More


Nigeria: Church demands government stops the bloodshed

Kasuman Daji where bandits  massacred 42 men and set village on fire  on 3rd January © ACN

The Catholic Church in northern Nigeria is imploring the government to step up security amid ongoing violence, kidnappings and killings. Following fresh atrocities, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), several ecclesiastical provinces in the north and the Diocese of Kontagora have all called for security to be ramped up as a top priority. CSN, the administrative arm of the Nigerian Catholic ... Read More


Pray the rosary with Archbishop John Wilson this Lent

Photo credit: Alvaro Garcia/ rcaos.org.uk

This Lent, Archbishop John Wilson is inviting people to pray the rosary with him and the St George's Cathedral clergy every Friday at 5pm at St George's Cathedral in Southwark. Praying the rosary is a beautiful way to help people deepen their relationship with the Lord Jesus, as his Blessed Mother takes you by the hand and draws you to our Lord's heart. Archbishop John and the Cathedral clergy wil... Read More


Emmerdale actress turned children's author visits Wirral primary school

Samantha Giles with headteacher Mr John McDonald and pupils

Samantha Giles, best known for her long-running role as Bernice Blackstock in ITV's Emmerdale, recently visited St Alban's Catholic Primary School, Wallasey, to read extracts from her children's books to the school's Key Stage 2 pupils. She visited all classes from Year 3 to Year 6, revealing what it is like to be an author before immersing them in the world of Rosemary, her protagonist in the '... Read More


Quakers bring reparations conversation into Parliament amid growing debate

Approaches to Reparations Event Speakers. Image: Michael Preston for Quakers in Britain

As debates about Britain's history, race, and responsibility continue to surface, Quakers in Britain co-hosted a discussion in Parliament exploring what reparations might mean in practice. The event, 'Approaches to Reparations: Faith-Based, Community, and Grassroots Perspectives,' was co-hosted yesterday by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Afrikaan Reparations and chaired by Bell Ribeir... Read More


Gospel in Art: Our Lady of Lourdes

Statue of Virgin Mary in the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes. By Joseph-Hugues Fabisch © Alamy

Gospel of 11 February 2026 Mark 7:14-23 At that time: Jesus called the people to him again and said to them, 'Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.' And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them... Read More

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