Roman Catholic Church on the island of Ireland, including Northern Ireland
Catholic Church in Ireland
Irish: An Eaglais Chaitliceach in Éirinn
St Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh.
Type
National polity
Classification
Catholic
Orientation
Latin
Scripture
Bible
Theology
Catholic theology
Governance
Episcopal
Pope
Francis
Primate of All Ireland
Eamon Martin
Apostolic Nuncio
Luis Mariano Montemayor[1]
Region
Ireland
Language
Irish (historically), English, Latin (liturgical)
Headquarters
Ara Coeli, Armagh, Northern Ireland
Founder
St. Patrick
Origin
Claims continuity with Celtic Christianity c. 430. Roman diocesan structure introduced c. 1111 at Synod of Ráth Breasail. Gaelic Ireland
Separations
Church of Ireland (1536/1871)
Members
3,729,000 (2016)
Official website
Irish Bishops' Conference
Part of a series on
Celtic Christianity
History
Ancient British Church
Christianity in Cornwall
Christianity in Ireland
Catholic Church in Ireland
Early Christian Ireland
Christianity in Roman Britain
Christianity in Scotland
Christianity in Medieval Scotland
Hiberno-Scottish mission
Christianity in Wales
"Age of Saints"
Synod of Brefi
Synod of Chester
Synod of Victory
Features
Bell shrine
Celtic chant
Celtic Cross
Celtic mass
Celtic Rite
Clas
Culdees
Insular art
Insular illumination
Insular monasticism
Papar
Plygain
Sculptured stones
Saints and leaders
Cornish saints Irish saints Welsh saints
Twelve Apostles of Ireland
Seven Founder Saints of Brittany
Saint Alban
Brendan
Brigit of Kildare
Cadoc
Columba
Columbanus
David
Dubricius
Finnian of Movilla
Gwynllyw
Illtud
Julius and Aaron
Kentigern
Malo
Ninian
Oudoceus
Patrick
Samson of Dol
Teilo
Tewdrig
Portal Christianity
v
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The Catholic Church in Ireland (Irish: An Eaglais Chaitliceach in Éireann, Ulster Scots: Catholic Kirk in Airlann) or Irish Catholic Church, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Holy See. With 3.7 million members (in the Republic of Ireland), it is the largest Christian church in Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland's 2016 census, 78% of the population identified as Catholic; this was 6% lower than the 2011 figure. By contrast, 41% of people in Northern Ireland identified as Catholic at the 2011 census; it is expected that this proportion will increase in the coming years.[2] The Archbishop of Armagh, as the Primate of All Ireland, has ceremonial precedence in the church. The church is administered on an all-Ireland basis. The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference is a consultative body for ordinaries in Ireland.
Christianity has existed in Ireland since the 5th century and arrived from Roman Britain (most famously associated with Saint Patrick), forming what is today known as Gaelic Christianity. It gradually gained ground and replaced the old pagan traditions. The Catholic Church in Ireland cites its origin to this period and considers Palladius as the first bishop sent to the Gaels by Pope Celestine I. However, during the 12th century a stricter uniformity in the Western Church was enforced, with the diocesan structure introduced with the Synod of Ráth Breasail in 1111 and culminating with the Gregorian Reform which coincided with the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland.
After the Tudor conquest of Ireland, the English Crown attempted to import the Protestant Reformation into Ireland. The Catholic Church was outlawed and adherents endured oppression and severe legal penalties for refusing to conform to the religion established by law — the Church of Ireland. By the 16th century, Irish national identity coalesced around Irish Catholicism. For several centuries, the Irish Catholic majority were suppressed. In the 19th century, the church and the British Empire came to a rapprochement. Funding for Maynooth College was agreed as was Catholic emancipation to ward off revolutionary republicanism. Following the Easter Rising of 1916 and the creation of the Irish Free State, the church gained significant social and political influence. During the late 20th century, a number of sexual abuse scandals involving clerics emerged.
^"Rinunce e nomine, 25.02.2023". Vatican Media.
^Young, David. "Protestant-Catholic gap narrows as census results revealed". Belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
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