A former MP in the UK, who was imprisoned for perjury, is to be ordained by a Church of England bishop. Jonathan Aitken (75) was a Conservative politician before being convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice in 1999. He is to be ordained by the first female bishop of London Dame Sarah…
Category: News
‘Disability amendment’ proposal based on fears of workarounds
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…
‘Reflect thoughtfully’priest asks young in wake of teen tragedy
The Parish Priest of a teen who was murdered in Louth has appealed for people with information concerning Cameron O’Reilly’s death to come forward. Hundreds of mourners gathered at the 18-year-old’s funeral on Monday morning. Fr Murtagh said the community were in “deep dismay” in his homily. “People were wondering out loud how he should…
Boy to walk Camino in aid of hospice care
A young Irish boy is getting ready to walk hundreds of kilometres across Spain to raise funds for those most vulnerable in our society. Eight-year-old Christopher Nugent is walking 300km from the city of Leon to Santiago de Compostela in the hope of raising funds for hospice care across Ireland, after having walked 200km to…
Religious groups praise Supreme Court ruling in same-sex cake case
Religious freedom groups cheered Monday’s 7-2 Supreme Court decision that a Colorado baker had his rights violated when the state civil rights commission said he was required to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips, saying that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission showed…
New proposals could lead to abortion on demand – pro-life group
A prominent pro-life group has criticised proposals made by Labour MP, Stella Creasy, to remove any criminal sanction for those involved with abortion. Commenting on the June 5 Westminster emergency debate on abortion, Dawn McAvoy, co-founder of Both Lives Matter said: “Stella Creasey wants full decriminalisation which would leave abortion largely unregulated. It could allow…
Progress in US audit of abuse allegations despite ‘worrisome signs’
The 15th annual report on the implementation of the US bishops’ ‘Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People’ shows a decrease in allegations of clergy sex abuse from the two previous years. It also indicates the need for continued vigilance since charges were raised by more than 650 adults and 24 minors. The…
We must stop talk of ‘battering’ Church, Senator urges
Attacks on the Church in the aftermath of the abortion referendum are misplaced, a yes-voting senator has said. Speaking in the Seanad last week, Senator Marie-Louise O’Donnell said while she had voted to repeal Ireland’s constitutional protections for the unborn, talk of how “we will batter” the Church should cease. “I was educated and minded…
Priest warns of life-threatening water dangers
A Wexford priest has warned public about the many hazards related to water he sees each summer as temperatures rise. Fr Tom Dalton, volunteer at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) highlighted the need to be vigilant around water which can often appear safe but is actually very dangerous. “The thing about our coastline is…
Vatican cautions on ‘winning’ mentality
A new Vatican document cautions against the dangers of highly competitive children’s sports, political and economic pressures on athletes to win “at all costs” and the unsportsmanlike or violent behaviour of fans. The document on sports also calls on every group or institution sponsoring sports programmes to have expert-guided child protection policies in place and…