The vast majority of Irish Christians are raising their children in the Faith, a new survey has found, with even non-practising Christians more inclined to have their children brought up in their religion than non-practising Christians elsewhere in Western Europe. Almost 25,000 adults across 15 countries were interviewed last year for ‘Being Christian in Western…
Government plans to ban oversubscribed Catholic schools from favouring Catholic applicants over non-Catholic ones may be unconstitutional, and are likely to be challenged in the courts, a leading expert on the Constitution has warned. Explaining that Irish law allows justifiable and proportionate discrimination in certain circumstances, UCC’s Dr Seán Ó Conaill told The Irish Catholic,…
Proposals that abortion legislation ensure there are explicit protections for unborn children with disabilities are driven by the experience of countries where disabled children have been targeted on other grounds, an independent TD has said. “From my discussions with people in countries where this has not been grounds for abortion, they have found a way…
There are some grains of hope for the Irish Church in a new survey, writes Greg Daly Perhaps one of the great ironies of the huge donations from the New York-based Open Society Foundation (OSF) to help three groups push for a referendum in Ireland on repealing our constitutional protections for the unborn is…
After criticising Damian Thompson’s execrable spectator.co.uk podcast about the referendum in a recent Web Watch, it seems only fair to point to a far better spectator.co.uk piece on the referendum this week. ‘What really happened in Ireland’s abortion referendum’, a ‘Coffee House’ column by Wicklow-born but London-based Melanie McDonagh is marked, as perhaps inevitable nowadays,…
Pilgrims attending the World Meeting of Families in Dublin this August will receive a plenary indulgence, the Vatican has announced. The Apostolic Penitentiary today issued a decree saying that Pope Francis would grant a plenary indulgence to pilgrims, “on the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff),…
Parishes forced to support struggling schools Dozens of Dublin’s primary schools are nearing financial crisis and are set to ask parishes to bail them out over the next few years, The Irish Catholic understands. Rising insurance cost and reduced State supports have left almost one in 10 Dublin schools either having sought help from local parishes or on…
Controversy around John Halligan being barred as a Confirmation sponsor has revealed serious confusion in Church practice, writes Greg Daly Minister of State John Halligan TD may not be a hypocrite but his comments last weekend about the supposed pettiness of a Church refusal to allow him act as a Confirmation sponsor point to…
Chilean prelates guilty of concealing abuse must be held to account for their actions, and cannot simply be allowed to “resign and walk away”, leading child protection campaigner Marie Collins has said. Noting how Chile’s entire hierarchy has offered to resign following an investigation into clerical abuse and cover-up in the South American country, Mrs…
Former Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan has appealed for Pope Francis to visit the North during his trip to Ireland for the World Meeting of Families this summer, saying he could bring ‘healing’ to the region. Her suggestion, however, met with a cool reaction, with Vatican officials seemingly feeling it would be difficult to include a…