Ireland Archives - Page 2 of 37

Ireland

Irish bishops have it wrong: referendums needed to ‘reflect diversity of modern Ireland’

February 28, 2024

LEICESTER, United Kingdom – A leading government official in Ireland has rejected claims by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference that suggests proposed changes to the Irish Constitution on the role and definition of family would weaken the incentive for young people to marry. On 8 March 2024, Irish citizens will be asked to vote in two referendums – called

Ireland’s bishops criticise proposed changes in upcoming referendums

February 27, 2024

The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference has released a statement highlighting their concerns about two important referendums in Ireland on “family” and “care” that are fast approaching and will take place on 8 March 2024. The “Family Amendment” would change the wording around the role of marriage and family in the Irish constitution, bringing in “durable relationship”

As Irish referendum on ‘woman in home’ clause approaches, poll shows majority of mothers prefer home

February 20, 2024

LEICESTER, United Kingdom – More than two-thirds of mothers with school-age children in the Republic of Ireland would prefer to stay at home to look after their children rather than go out to work if they could afford it, according to a new poll. The survey by Amarach Research was commissioned by The Iona Institute,

Ireland’s vocations crisis reflects lack of ‘initiative’ and ‘evasion of issue’ by Church

February 01, 2024

The Irish Catholic Church was seen for generations as the jewel in the crown of the English-speaking clerical world. Scores of parishes in Great Britain owed their development to Irish priests. The same applied in the United States, Australia and in many mission lands throughout Africa and elsewhere. Ireland boasted many seminaries, with the main

The problem with Saint Brigid’s pagan makeover

January 31, 2024

Saint Brigid now has her own state-sanctioned bank holiday in Ireland, which this year falls on Monday, 5 February, following the saint’s feast day on 1 February. Along with St Patrick and St Columcille (Columba), St Brigid is one of Ireland’s three patron saints. Her recent “promotion” follows the organisation Herstory mounting a three-year campaign to get

FEATURE: ‘The Last Priests and Nuns in Ireland’ – a missed opportunity to move beyond the same old tropes

January 25, 2024

I get a knot of anxiety in my stomach when I hear news of another documentary about religion or, rather, about Catholicism in Ireland. It isn’t because I am squeamish and don’t want to face up to the scandals the Church has faced and been part of in Ireland, or because I can’t deal with

Irish Church criticises ‘radical’ ethical changes and risks of new medical guide

January 24, 2024

LEICESTER, United Kingdom – A new ethics guide of the Irish Medical Council contains “numerous defects”, according to the chairperson of the Council for Life of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference. The most serious one is the removal of a line barring medical staff from taking part in the deliberate killing of a patient (which

Irish Medical Council endorses ‘fundamental shift’ in medical ethics paving way for government euthanasia push

January 10, 2024

The Irish Medical Council has updated its ethical guidelines for doctors. The standout change—and a disturbing change, especially given the supposedly ethical focus—is the removal of the very explicit direction: “You must not take part in the deliberate killing of a patient.” The amendment to the 2024 Guide to Professional Conduct & Ethics for Registered