In October, the Citizens’ Assembly invited the general public to submit written opinions and contribute to the discussion on the 8th amendment to the Constitution, which is the pro-life amendment. The response from concerned citizens has surprised the organisers for two reasons: for the huge number of submissions and for the fact that a clear majority of...
The Citizens’ Assembly deliberations into the issue of abortion and the 8th amendment are well underway. The Iona Institute made a submission to the Assembly. It concentrates on setting out the reasons why we should not hold a referendum to repeal something as fundamental as the right to life of the unborn. The submission is...
The principle of bodily autonomy was addressed by two speakers during last weekend’s session of the Citizens’ Assembly, which is still discussing the abortion issue. The two speakers took very different views on the issue. One speaker looked at the person as a pure individual, the other as a person in relationship with others. Dr...
At a packed meeting of The Iona Institute last month, First Things editor, R. R. Reno discussed the topic, ‘American Christians in the Age of Trump’. He set the American election against wider trends, in particular a growing rejection of globalisation and a rejection of the attempts by global elites to detach us from ideas...
If you give birth you are a mother and if you are pregnant you are an expectant mother? Well, not anymore, according to the British Medical Association. Now you are a ‘pregnant person’. A new booklet issued by the BMA and aimed at promoting ‘inclusive’ and non-offensive language in the workplace claims that “A large...
First Things editor, R.R. Reno, was a guest of The Iona Institute this week. Among other things, he appeared on the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk yesterday where he explained why he converted to Catholicism, what First Things magazine is, and what were the concerns that caused many Americans to vote for Trump, including many...
The European Court of Human Rights has today issued a very important ruling which puts something of a brake on the worst kind of surrogacy. The case involved an Italian couple who used a surrogate mother in Russia to have a child to whom neither of them were biologically related. The Court has ruled that the...
The speech delivered today by Education Minister, Richard Bruton (pictured), signalling changes to the admissions policy of faith schools, is part of a wider pattern of moves against faith schools. It is a pattern that amounts to a hostile attitude. Iona Institute Director, David Quinn, said in a press statement: “There are certainly too many...
Should Muslim schoolgirls be required to attend swimming lessons with boys, against the wishes of their parents? According to the European Court of Human Rights, the answer is yes. Was that the right answer? On balance, I don’t think it was. The case involved two Muslim girls attending school in Switzerland. According to a BBC...
Divorce is a very tricky topic to write about it because those who have experienced divorce have experienced something very painful and feelings can be very raw. This was brought home to me again when I wrote a piece dealing with divorce for The Irish Independent last Friday. The piece was prompted by the release...
