Archbishop Sean Brady, Primate of All-Ireland, has welcomed the establishment of the Iona Institute as a “timely initiative”, according to a report in the Irish Catholic newspaper.

The new think-tank, headed-up by leading columnist David Quinn, was launched earlier this month and aims to strengthen civil society by by underlining the importance of marriage and religious practice for a stable society.

Archbishop Brady told The Irish Catholic that he welcomed the “establishment of the Iona Institute with its commitment to communicating the truth about religious practice, marriage and the family.”

The Primate said that “this is a timely initiative and the name Iona, with its missionary connotations, seems particularly appropriate.

“I wish all involved blessings and success,” he said.

The Institute intends to carry out its aims through the commissioning of relevant position papers by experts in their fields, including social scientists; lawyers and psychiatrists; through the formulation of social policies; through sponsoring research and opinion polls; and, through organising seminars on relevant topics.

It comes as legal proposals are being discussed that activists fear will dilute the special status of marriage in the law by creating civil partnerships which will have many of the same rights and obligations as marriage.