The latest Religious Freedom in the World Report from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) reveals that almost two-thirds of humanity, about 5.4 billion people, live in places where serious violations of religious freedom religious, up to and including martyrdom in all too many cases, occur. The most widely persecuted group is Christians. The...
At a press conference last week, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe was asked by Gript journalist, Ben Scallan, whether Ireland should adopt pro-natalist policies to raise our very low birth rate. The context was the launch of a major new report looking ahead to 2065 and the financial challenges we will face, including from a fast-ageing...
People used to mainly inherit their religion, like their politics, from their parents. This is no longer the case and hasn’t been for a long time. Now people often have to acquire religion (and politics) for themselves. It is a much more individualistic thing. A new report from Britain overall highlights this fact but shows...
What are the signs of a great openness to religion among members of Gen Z? Stephen Bullivant, Professor of Theology and Sociology of Religion at St Mary’s University, Twickenham in London, looks at what the data have to say. He gave his talk at 2025 Iona Institute youth conference on October 11 in Dublin. The...
At our recent youth conference, Bishop Niall Coll (pictured) addressed the topic, ‘The Crucial Choice Before Gen Z’. Citing St John Henry Newman, he said that there are “three Ds” needed for faith, namely ‘disposition’, ‘decision ‘and ‘difference’, that is, a disposition towards the faith, followed by a willingness to make a decision to embrace...
Watch the opening remarks from David Quinn at the annual Iona Institute youth conference. In his opening address at the annual Iona Institute youth conference last Saturday, (you can watch the address here), David Quinn spells out the demographic facts of life to Gen Z. He told a packed room that ‘Gen Z’ (roughly corresponding to those in their...
There is a marked revival of interest in religion among young people in Northern Ireland, a major new poll commissioned by The Iona Institute has found. This is a clear reversal of the previous continual decline by age. The youngest age group polled, that is, the 18-24-year-olds, are more likely to have a ‘very positive’...
It has been revealed that more than one hundred babies have been born alive in Ireland following abortions since the procedure was legalised in 2019. A large majority of these babies suffered from a major congenital abnormality and were generally delivered between the 22nd and 27th week of pregnancy. The grim news came in reply...
The Department of Education has published the redeveloped Primary School Curriculum. It contains five broad subject areas and they will be all rolled out in schools over the next few months. Last year, during the consultation process, the Iona Institute presented concerns about the draft proposals, concerns that have now been confirmed by what has...
On Tuesday. the street where the office of The Iona Institute is based had to be cordoned off by Gardai (see picture above), after a suspect package was sent to us. I opened the package, which turned out to contain a large amount of white powder. Some of it spilled out onto the floor, the desk, and my hands. The letter...
