Catholic schools in Wales have been officially warned that they could be breaking the law by encouraging pupils to oppose same-sex marriage. The Welsh Government has written to Catholic schools following complaints over teachers inviting pupils to sign a petition against the Government’s plans to redefine marriage. Ministers in Westminster have yet to decide whether...
Justice Minister Alan Shatter (pictured) has said that Irish courts may protect priests from prosecution who refuse to violate the seal of Confession under proposed Government legislation making it a crime not to disclose allegations about child sexual abuse. Speaking in the Seanad in a debate on the Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on...
Teenagers are increasingly delaying having sex until they are older, according to a new HSE study on young people’s sexual behaviour. The study, carried out by the HSE’s Crisis Pregnancy Programme, found that 15pc of 18 to 25-year-olds in 2010 said they had not yet had sex, compared to 13pc of the same age group...
Parents will be able to take more flexible leave to care for their children under new laws unveiled in the Queen’s Speech on Wednesday. The speech, which traditionally outlines the UK Government’s legislative agenda, also announced legislation which will create a requirement for judges to ensure children enjoy a “meaningful” relationship with their father if...
The body representing most Catholic secondary schools has called on the Government to treat them as equals in the resourcing of second-level education. The Joint Managerial Body (JMB) which represents the management of almost 400 voluntary secondary schools says that some schools are approaching financial tipping point because of severe cuts, according to a report...
Voters in the U.S. state of North Carolina have overwhelmingly backed a measure to enshrine the traditional definition of marriage into the state’s constitution. The measure, which also banned same-sex civil unions, passed by 61pc to 39pc. The vote brings the number of states which have voted against same-sex marriage in state referenda to 31....
Most self-professed Christians – both Catholics and Protestants – give a lack of time rather than disagreement with Church teachings as the main reason why they don’t go to church regularly, according to a new survey. The poll, conducted in the Catholic diocese of Camden in New Jersey, found that thirty-eight percent of non-churchgoing Christians...
There will be no U-turn on Government plans to legalise same-sex marriage in the UK, according to the Liberal Democrat Minister responsible for crafting the legislation. Lynne Featherstone, the equalities minister, said that same-sex couples will be given the legal right to marry before the next general election, according to the Daily Telegraph. Her words...
An Anglican vicar was vetted by the UK Government’s child protection agency after he questioned his Church’s child protection policy. Rev Jeremy Hummerstone, formerly vicar of Torrington in Devon, refused to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check by the (ISA) on the grounds that such vetting was not part of the original conditions of...
A teenage boy in the UK has admitted religiously harassing a McDonald’s employee by repeatedly harassing her for being a practicing Pagan. The 16-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, consistently provoked the female member of staff over her beliefs in what is understood to be the first case of its kind, The Daily...
