Catholic bishops in the US have rejected President Obama’s proposed change to his plan to force all employers — including most religious institutions to provide free contraception, abortifacients and sterilisation to women in their health insurance coverage. The White House claimed on Friday that it would accommodate religious institutions with objections to the health mandate...
The closure of Ireland’s embassy to the Vatican was not part of a “secular agenda” on the part of the Labour Party, according to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore (pictured). Mr Gilmore last night insisted the embassy was always on a list of closures, the Irish Independent reports. Mr Gilmore...
British society is under threat from the rising tide of “militant secularisation” reminiscent of “totalitarian regimes”, a member of the British Government has warned. Ahead of an historic visit to the Vatican beginning today, Baroness Warsi (pictured), Cabinet Minister without Portfolio, expressed “fear” about the marginalisation of religion throughout Britain and Europe, saying that faith...
Church of England bishops are leading calls to protect NHS chaplains from proposals to have them removed from hospitals. Secularist campaigners are arguing that the taxpayer should no longer fund chaplains at a time when the NHS is making cuts, the Daily Telegraph reports. In an impassioned debate at the Church of England General Synod...
Irish internet providers have said that a move by their counterparts in the UK to make it harder for children to access internet porn is akin to “censorship”. Their stance has been condemned by politicians and campaigners as “scandalous” and “hypocritical”. The UK scheme, introduced last year after recommendations by a Government-backed report, means that...
Girls as young as 13 are being given contraceptive implants at school without their parents’ knowledge. Nurses insert devices into their arms which temporarily prevent pregnancy by releasing hormones into the blood. Last year 1,700 girls aged 13 and 14 were fitted with implants, while 800 had injections which have the same effect, according to...
The saying of prayers as a ‘formal’ part of local council meetings in the UK has been ruled unlawful by the High Court. However, the court rejected claims that saying the prayers discriminates against, or breaches the human rights of, atheists. The judge in the case, Mr Justice Ouseley, said there is no law that gives...
A leading Church of England bishop has received racist and threatening messages just days after he voiced his support for traditional marriage, sparking a police hate crime investigation. The office of the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu (pictured), confirmed that North Yorkshire Police had been called in following a number of “abusive and threatening...
A Labour TD who backed a motion at his party’s conference which called for Catholic civil servants to be vetted to make sure they don’t show “inappropriate deference” to the Church has backed away from the plan, The Irish Catholic has reported.Deputy Aodhan O Riordain also admitted that his initial support for the motion had...
A US court decision quashing the result of a Californian referendum upholding the traditional definition of marriage has been condemned by pro-family groups. The referendum, called Proposition 8, took place in 2008 and was struck down by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court in San Francisco on Tuesday, with the measure being deemed unconstitutional. Pro-family groups...
