Catholics in the US are less likely to divorce than people of other religious affiliations, according to a new study. The research, carried out by the Centre for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, found that 28 percent of Catholics who have ever married have divorced at some point. This compares to more...
Plans to introduce same-sex marriage in Scotland could open the door to polygamy, a senior Labour politician has warned. Labour’s Elaine Smith, deputy presiding officer in the Scottish Parliament, suggested the SNP government’s proposals should be put on hold until the impact of the changes south of the Border can be judged, the Scotsman reports....
The national executive of Accord, the Catholic Church’s marriage counselling agency, overruled a motion which would have required it to offer couples sexual counseling to divorced, gay and unmarried people, which would be against Catholic teaching. The motion was tabled in October 2011 by the Wexford branch of Accord, and was passed by a comfortable...
The Catholic bishops have thanked Lucinda Creighton (pictured) and other TDs and Senators who broke the party whip to vote against the Government’s abortion bill in the summer. In a statement issued after their Autumn General Meeting, they expressed their “deep gratitude to everyone who showed their concern in a respectful way when challenging the...
A woman in Belgium has ended her life by euthanasia after a sex change operation did not meet expectations. Nancy Verhelst, known as Nathan, was euthanised on Monday afternoon on the grounds of “unbearable psychological suffering,” the Daily Telegraph has reported. A medical professor from the University of Exeter said research conducted a decade ago...
Many families are now paying an extra €6,000 a year into the State’s coffers, with the tax on their incomes jumping more than 50pc over the five years of austerity. Massive cuts in child benefit, the introduction of the controversial universal social charge, the property tax and rising prices for everything from groceries to energy...
Fr Kevin Doran has resigned from the board of Mater Hospital after the Catholic-run institution agreed to comply with the Government’s controversial abortion law. Fr Doran, a bioethicist, said that he could not in conscience remain either a member of the Mater Hospital Board of Directors or Board of Governors as a result of the...
The owner of a well-known Dublin stationery store has been targeted by gay campaigners over his refusal to display pro same-sex marriage materials in his shop. A series of comments posted on the website of the online edition of the Gay Community Newsletter (GCN) have accused Paul Barnes, owner of Daintree Paper stationary shop,...
Ireland’s marriage rate is now only 4.3 per 1,000, according to new figures published by the CSO, a massive drop of 40pc since 1973 when the rate peaked at 7.4 per 1,000. The figures mean that fewer couples in Ireland are getting married than in Britain and far fewer than in the US. Ireland’s marriage...
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is to seek clarification on the Mater Hospital’s statement that it will comply with the Government’s abortion legislation. The hospital’s stance, announced last week, is at odds with that of the Catholic hierarchy, which condemned the legislation. The Mater is a Catholic hospital. However the Archbishop said that even though he was...
