Catholic primary schools will for the first time formally teach about other religions under a proposed new religious education curriculum being drawn up under the auspices of the Catholic bishops, according to the Irish Independent. It is a response to a proposal by the Department of Education. According to Fr Michael Drumm, chairperson of the...
A group of 58 legislators from the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly have issued a declaration strongly opposing Belgium’s move to legalise euthanasia for children. With the Belgian Bill set to be voted on by the lower house of parliament this week, the declaration states: Bearing in mind the Assembly, in its Resolution 1859 (2012)...
Justice Minister Alan Shatter has published the details of an extremely radical and far-reaching reform of family law called the proposed Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014. A lengthy definition it gives of “the best interests of the child” makes no reference to natural ties or to mothers and fathers. Therefore, if enacted the bill...
Schools in the UK will be obliged to publish details of their sex education syllabi online amid concern among parents and the general public about the the increased sexualisation of children, the impact of internet porn, and the content of some sex education programmes. Colin Hart, a director of the Christian Institute, said: “I strongly...
A new study published in the British Medical Journal indicates that In Vitro Fertilisation is being employed in cases where the evidence for its effectiveness is ‘weak’, and that extended use of the treatment is associated with health risks to mothers and children. The authors say that IVF is currently subject to insufficient scrutiny, largely...
The Little Sisters of the Poor have been granted an injunction by the U.S Supreme court, temporarily freeing them from the obligation to obey the Obama Administration’s ‘HHS Mandate’ requiring employers to include contraceptives and abortifacients in their employees’ health insurance policies. The Court re-affirmed an earlier temporary injunction granted by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, which...
The Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin and the Association of Catholic Priests have strongly criticised Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn’s suggestion that schools should reduce teaching time for religious education. Mr Martin said that the Minister was “insensitive to people of particular religions” and “oblivious” to the impact his proposal could have on small schools...
A Kansas court has ruled that William Marotta, who donated sperm to a lesbian couple, is the presumptive father to one of the women’s children and must pay child support because the various parties did not use a licensed physician. According to the Topeka Capital-Journal, District Court Judge Mary Mattivi ruled that had Marotta and...
Women seeking abortions in the UK are six times more likely to have experienced domestic abuse than women seeking antenatal care, suggests a new study published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The study was carried out on a sample of 274 women looking for an abortion and 233 women seeking antenatal care in...
A new report highlights some of the latest attacks on Christian targets in Europe over the last few months. The attacks range from vandalism of a crib in Belgium, to anti-Catholic graffiti being spray-painted on four churches in Malaga, Spain, to an arson attack on a chapel in France. The report from is the latest...
