The Vatican is being urged to pressurise religious congregations that ran Magdalen laundries here to contribute to compensation and redress for former residents. Reform Alliance TD Lucinda Creighton said it would be a “positive step” towards helping heal some of the hurt caused by religious orders involved in the running of the laundries. She told…

Sex education must involve more than just teaching children scientific facts, newly released sex education guidelines by the Church here claim. The guidelines also dismiss as a “distortion” any attempt to communicate the facts of life without reference to the religious and moral dimensions of human sexuality or to the student’s need to grow in…

Almost a year after the Mater Hospital controversially agreed to comply with the Government’s abortion law, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is still seeking clarity from the Sisters of Mercy for their stance on the issue. A spokeswoman for the archdiocese confirmed there is “no update” on discussions between the archbishop and the nuns who own the…

A new partnership between teacher training colleges and Dublin City University (DCU) has been described as a “ground-breaking” approach to religious education which will bring together Catholic trainee teachers with those from other Christian traditions. The new Institute of Education will be created by the coming together of Dublin City University, St Patrick’s College Drumcondra,…

The Church cannot chop and change its teachings based on popular public opinion, an Irish priest-theologian and advisor to the Pope has warned. International Theological Commission representative, Fr Thomas Norris, said majority opinion among Catholics on controversial Church teachings does not necessarily warrant change. “There is a big difference between the actual faith of God’s…

The issue was addressed by the bishops at their summer meeting in Maynooth last week.

‘The money could easily be reallocated to housing, education and healthcare’