Northern members of the Saint Vincent de Paul are troubled by the decision of the organisation’s national leadership to avoid taking a stance in the coming referendum on the Eighth Amendment, The Irish Catholic understands. “There is an unease,” Ballymena conference president, Mary Waide, said, continuing, “Our regional president is meeting the national council this…
The Church in Germany said it would review its employment system after top European judges warned it could violate anti-discrimination laws by requiring employees to be religious. On April 17, the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that demands for Church employees to have a “religious affiliation” should be subject to judicial review. Fr…
Withdrawing the sole existing constitutional right to life from unborn human beings would be a “profound injustice”, an Irish legal professional has said. Barrister Benedict Ó Floinn BL, one of the signatories of a statement opposing the repeal of the Eighth Amendment said that he hopes the letter, which was signed by 100 legal professionals…
Young people in Europe need political support to start families in countries with aging populations, a Catholic campaign group has said. While “young people want to form lasting relationships and have children,” they “don’t feel safe” to start families, said Antoine Renard, president of the Brussels-based Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe. “Unless something…
Medical professionals are concerned they may be compelled to perform or facilitate abortions despite believing them to be profoundly wrong, according to a speaker at a pro-life medical conference. Speaking to The Irish Catholic at the ‘Medical Care and the Eighth Amendment’ conference in Dublin, Dr Andrew O’Regan said doctors and other medical professionals are…
A conservative member of parliament has blocked a motion calling on the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to invite Pope Francis to apologise for the Church’s role in abuse at Indian residential schools. However, Charlie Angus, a member of parliament, said the motion would come up for debate and a vote in the coming weeks.…
Catholic majority in NI predicted Catholics could outnumber Protestants in Northern Ireland by 2021, a leading academic has suggested. The 2011 official census figures put the Protestant population at 48 per cent and Catholics at 45 per cent, while more recent figures from 2016 show 44 per cent of working age adults are Catholic and 40 per cent Protestant. Paul Nolan, an independent researcher, best known for…
Pope call s German cardinal to Rome to discuss eucharistic sharing Pope Francis has asked the president of the German bishops’ conference to come to Rome to discuss pastoral guidelines for possibly allowing some non-Catholics married to Catholics to receive the Eucharist, the conference spokesman has said. Reports that “the document was rejected in the Vatican by the Holy Father or by the dicasteries…
Mothers and fathers who consider abortion in difficult circumstances should be treated with “tremendous sensitivity and support”, an Irish bishop has said. In an April 22 Pastoral Message, Fern’s bishop Dennis Brennan said that individuals can find themselves in difficulties during pregnancy, pointing out that mothers may be abandoned, afraid, isolated or facing financial and…
The Government has failed to focus on positive alternatives to abortion despite the fact that many of the electorate have “pleaded” with the Government to create a space for such debate, a leading pro-life group has said. Speaking at a press conference this afternoon in Dublin, spokesperson of Love Both Sinead Slattery said: “In the…
Greg Daly
Colm Fitzpatrick