The European Commission has admitted its error in producing a diary which contained the important feast days of most major religions, except Christianity. The publication of the diary caused a significant controversy, with Christian organisations and a number of politicians expressing anger and astonishment. France’s Minister of European Affairs Laurent Wauquiez attacked the original version of the...
Nurses who have a conscientious objection to abortion are facing more and more restrictions on their ability to act according to their consciences, the president of an international Catholic nursing association said this week. Marylee Meehan, president of the International Catholic Committee of Nurses and Medical-Social Assistants (CICIAMS), told Catholic News Agency (CNA) at a...
A leading UK clergyman has defended the influence of the Church of England on important national debates, saying it must not be deterred by attempts to marginalise Christianity. Addressing the General Synod earlier this week, the Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, insisted that the Church must “actively continue to seek to influence the terms...
Labour have committed to holding a referendum to legalise same-sex marriage if they are elected to power. In their manifesto published today, the party says that the party is committed to holding a referendum to provide for constitutional recognition of same-sex marriage. Both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have made clear their opposition to such...
Easier access to the morning-after-pill has not reduced the number of teenage pregnancies and may be associated with a rise in sexually-transmitted diseases (STIs), according to a report by experts at The University of Nottingham. Professors David Paton and Sourafel Girma used data from local health authorities to study the effect of Government-backed schemes offering...
The two largest political parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have said they would not favour a referendum to change the Constitutional definition of marriage. In response to questions from The Irish Catholic, both parties said they favoured retaining the current position on marriage. However, Labour, who are likely to form a coalition government with...
Americans are more satisfied with the influence of organised religion than any of the other six aspects of life in the United States rated in a new Gallup poll, with the exception of “the overall quality of life”. Fifty-eight percent of Americans are satisfied with the influence of organized religion compared with only 31 perent...
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny (pictured) has said that he would back a children’s rights referendum with a wording similar to that proposed by an Oireachtas committee last year, according to a report in The Sunday Times. That wording would lower the threshold at which the State can intervene in families. It amends the current...
Government ministers should start promoting marriage, not celebrity culture, former Tory leader, Iain Duncan Smith, has said. Mr Duncan Smith, who is the Work and Pensions Secretary, in what is the clearest pro-marriage statement since the formation of the Coalition government, says that young people are being actively discouraged from marriage and that it was...
The Irish Human Rights Commission (IRHC) has been criticised over its attitude to religious education and religious freedom at the conclusion of Catholic Schools Week by Bishop Leo O’Reilly. The IRHC recently issued a discussion paper on the subject of religious education and human rights. The paper indicated that religious schools might be violating international...
