At the parliamentary party meeting yesterday, numerous members asked for a free vote so they could support Socialist TD Gino Kenny’s euthanasia Bill which has no times limits and defines terminal illness very broadly.
But it is understood that both Heather Humphreys and Josepha Madigan spoke out against a free vote as, they claimed, the pressure TDs would come under would be intense.
A spokesperson for Ms Madigan later said she spoke at length on the issue and said it would be best to have a Citizens’ Assembly on the issue first followed by a free vote.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee put forward a number of options, including holding a Citizens’ Assembling on the issue.
Mr Varakdar said the second stage of the Bill could be deferred for a number of months to allow a special committee to hear from experts and those with personal experiences.
A number of members, including John McGahon and Barry Ward said they would be against putting the issue to a Citizen’s Assembly as this would be simply kicking the can down the road.
Women from religious minority communities in Pakistan continue to be abducted and underage girls continue to be victims of religious violence and persecution, according to a new report.
The latest example is the daughter of Gurdwara Panja Sahib’s head granthi in Hassan Abdal city. Protests from the Sikh community in the national capital broke out on Monday outside the Pakistan High Commission in wake of the abduction of the Sikh girl.
The daughter of the head granthi (an official reader of Sikh scripture) went missing more than two weeks ago and she is reportedly being converted to Islam against her wish.
In a recent report, US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) noted that in Hindu, Christian, and Sikh communities, young women, often underage, continue to be kidnapped for forced conversion to Islam and that 1,000 women are forcibly converted to Islam each year.
The report further stated that local police are often accused of complicity in these cases by failing to investigate them properly. In the Sikh community itself, more than 55 such instances of abductions and forced conversions are said to have taken place in the past few months.
Legislation for euthanasia in New Zealand has been called deeply alarming.
International human rights firm, ADF International delivered a statement to the United Nations on the dangers for the elderly when euthanasia is legalized.
Giorgio Mazzoli said a fair and just society cares for its most vulnerable. “The potential impact that the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide via the End of Life Choice Act of 2019 would have on older persons in New Zealand is deeply alarming. While the eligibility requirements are supposedly strict, the experience of other countries, where the practice is permitted, shows that once the door is open to intentional killing, there is no logical stopping point”.
He added: “If human dignity becomes linked to a person’s state of health or self-determination, it loses its inherent and objective character. Legalizing euthanasia and assisted suicide will further increase social pressure on the elderly, who may be led to believe that their lives are ‘completed’ and ‘no longer worth living’”.
47% of Americans agreed that the pandemic deepened their commitment to their spouse or partner while only 9% disagreed.
That’s according to the 6th annual American Family Survey at Brigham Young University.
The survey of 3,000 American adults also reveals only 13% of those surveyed say the pandemic made them question the strength of their relationship.
Boyd Matheson, Deseret News Opinion Editor said American families have revealed that despite the turmoil of this year, they are resilient. “The pandemic is not destroying American families. In fact, it’s making them stronger. More than half (56%) of those surveyed have said the pandemic has made spouses appreciate their partner more. Only 1 in 10 disagreed.”
The new Bishop of Kilmore has been urged to take a strong stance on life issues like abortion and euthanasia.
The Archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin, gave the homily at the Episcopal Ordination Mass of Father Martin Hayes.
Addressing the new Bishop he said it would be his duty “to correct error and proclaim the truth of the Gospel – whether it is welcome or unwelcome – to proclaim fearlessly, as Saint Paul did to the Philippians”.
He encouraged him to “not be afraid to speak up strongly for the dignity of the human person and for the protection of all human life, especially against public policies that fundamentally contradict the moral law – like abortion and euthanasia”.
He also urged him to to support marriage and the family and promote respectful care for the Earth.
The former Bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, has said that the Catholic Church’s efforts to negotiate an extension to the 2018 provisional agreement with China are harming the evangelisation of that country.
In an interview with CNA, Cardinal Zen said that the Church’s silence on Communist human rights abuses, including the detention of more than 1 million Muslim Uyghurs in a network of concentration camps in Xinjiang Province, was damaging the ability of the Church to play a role in shaping the future of the country.
“The resounding silence will damage the work of evangelisation,” the cardinal said. “Tomorrow when people will gather to plan the new China, the Catholic Church may not be welcome.”
While Cardinals Zen, Charles Muang Bo of Burma and Ignatius Suharyo of Indonesia have repeatedly denounced China’s human rights violations, the Vatican, including Pope Francis, have remained silent on what human rights groups have called a “genocide” and campaign of “ethnic cleansing” against the Uyghurs as diplomatic talks continue on the future of the Vatican-China agreement.
The personal importance of religion was related to lower levels of cheating, according to new research out of the US.
National data collected in late 2019 by the survey research group YouGov—the iFidelity Survey— examined 1,282 ever-married individuals using both demographic, attitudinal, and relational predictors of extramarital affairs.
As with nearly all studies of extramarital affairs, the iFidelity data suggest that men are more likely to report ever having engaged in an extramarital affair. In the survey, 20% of ever-married men and 10% of ever-married women reported cheating on their spouse in the past.
The study also found that the personal importance of religion was related to lower levels of cheating, whereas religious worship service attendance was not.
Having a strict definition of infidelity, feeling that religion is very important in one’s own life, and perceiving one’s relationship as stable were all less associated with reporting an extramarital affair.
Speaking on Monday, Sinn Féin TD Eoin O’Broin said the party will support the Bill of socialist TD, Gino Kenny, moving to the next stage in the Dáil when it comes up for debate.
“Our view is that we think we should allow the Bill to pass through second stage so that you can have that full and frank proper discussion in the committee before we decide how to proceed.”
He said it is a significant issue which merits a national debate.
The Government has been urged to allow its TDs a free vote on the legislation. The legislation has gone into the Dáil lottery system where private members Bills are chosen on a random basis for debate in the House.
It is therefore not yet known when it will be debated.
An ‘Active Consent Toolkit’, developed at NUIG, was launched today by the Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris.
The toolkit will be rolled out at colleges and universities around the country to improve students understanding of sexual violence, harassment, and consent.
It also address consent education on campus, and provides practical resources and research for colleges to create their own plan to address the issue.
The Toolkit has been developed based on the finding of the ‘Sexual Experiences Survey’ released in June 2020.
Minister Harris said that the results of this survey show that there is much work to be done about educating people on consent.
“We have to do more to raise awareness and support students, and the Active Consent Toolkit will greatly assist institutions in a really practical way.
The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin has called the new covid-restrictions for the city “appropriate” and has warned parishes against attempting to hold first communion or confirmation ceremonies. Dublin is currently the only place in Europe where a Government has forbidden public worship.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin said churches would remain closed “except for private prayer, weddings and funerals”. Attendances at these would be limited to 25 with religious services going online only.
In a statement on Saturday, the archbishop said he was seriously concerned that many people “may be underestimating the seriousness of the current situation in Co Dublin”.
While there was no evidence of the virus being spread in worshipping communities, the measures in Dublin were appropriate at this time, he said.
He also noted that some parents and grandparents were unhappy with the cancellation of First Communion and Confirmation ceremonies because of the restrictions. However, he warned against “parishes taking initiatives to ‘get First Communions and Confirmations done’.
“We have to remember that First Communions and Confirmations are sacramental acts and must be celebrated in an appropriate liturgical context and catechetical preparation. The idea that sacramental acts have to be done quickly and can be done outside the normal liturgical situation is false. There is no urgent need to celebrate these sacraments just because they fit into the school calendar.”
