Fathers’ engagement with their children, or the lack thereof, in the first months of life may influence the development of behavioural problems later, according to a new study. The study, carried out by researchers from the University of Oxford, found that fathers who were more involved early on had children with fewer problems at 12...
Christianity is the largest religious faith among the 18 million Asian-Americans, according to new research. The study, carried out by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life found that 42pc of all Asian Americans were Christian. Buddhism was the religion with the second highest percentage of adherants, with 14pc. But those who said they...
Young teenagers who watch sex scenes in films are more likely to be sexually active and with more people from a younger age, according to new research. Psychologists concluded that teenagers aged from 12-14 who watch more sex on screen in popular films are likely to have sexual relations with more people, according to the...
Relationship breakdown is one of the biggest causes of suicide in Ireland, according to a new study. The study showed that 65.8pc of the 190 people who had committed suicide in the city and county of Cork between September 2008 and March 2011 had experienced serious relationship problems in their lives. The study, the First...
The Church in Ireland has become “too timid in bringing its liberating voice to the ‘demons’ of Irish society,” Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, has said. In a homily in the Pro Cathedral on Sunday, Archbishop Martin said that the Church “should be active and present in society, drawing attention to suffering and repression...
Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has been warned by a leading Catholic bishop that it would be “incredibly unwise” to ram through recommendations by the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism aimed at diluting the ethos of denominational schools. Bishop Leo O’Reilly of Kilmore, the previous chair of the Bishops’ commission on Education, speaking in an interview...
The Government could introduce same-sex marriage without having a referendum, a legal academic has claimed. Writing in yesterday’s Irish Times, Dr Conor O’Mahony of UCC said that the Constitution was silent on same-sex marriage, and that it therefore presented no bar to the Government introducing same-sex marriage legislation. His view contrasts with the opinion of...
Christians must be allowed to display their faith in the public square, the Church of England has declared. The General Synod, the Church’s governing body, overwhelmingly backed a motion which affirmed that the “calling” of Christians was to manifest their “faith in public life as well as in private”. The motion was introduced by Revd...
Prime Minister David Cameron (pictured) has backed the right of Christians to wear crosses in the workplace and said he would change the law to make this clear if necessary. Speaking on Wednesday during Prime Minister’s Questions, he said the matter is “absolutely a vital religious freedom”, according to The Daily Telegraph. His remarks...
Defence Minister, Alan Shatter (pictured), denied permission to members of the Defence Forces to act as an honour guard for a procession during the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) in Dublin last month, the Irish Catholic has learned. The move comes despite the fact that the Defence Forces have traditionally taken part in processions around the...
