A priest based in Fermanagh has said Boris Johnson is not taking the Good Friday Agreement “seriously” in the wake of the UK prime minister introducing legislation that would override the Brexit treaty. Provisions in the UK Internal Market Bill would give Mr Johnson’s government the power to override key provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement,…
Month: October 2020
The hands that rock the cradle of US law can reset the agenda
American liberals are horrified at the thought of a Supreme Court judge imposing their view on the law, writes David Quinn The US Supreme Court is an extremely powerful body. Unlike in Ireland, it is very difficult to pass a constitutional referendum in the United States, and therefore when the Supreme Court passes a judgement,…
‘A person of the utmost integrity’: Church on Amy Coney Barrett
Catholic leaders and academics have voiced their support following President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacant seat on the US Supreme Court. Tributes to the Catholic judge and nominee followed Ms Barrett’s official presentation in the White House Rose Garden Saturday evening, after a week of speculation that she was…
Pandemic leaves Christians in the Holy Land ‘teetering on the edge’
Heavily reliant on the tourism industry, Covid-19 threatens the livelihoods of many Christians in the Holy Land, writes Ruadhán Jones On February 6 of this year, in complete innocence of what was to come, The Irish Catholic announced our annual pilgrimage to the Holy Land – the name typically applied to an area comprising Israel,…
US bishops’ pro-life chair applauds President Trump’s baby-care order
The chairman of the US bishops’ pro-life committee applauded President Donald Trump’s signing the ‘Born Alive Executive Order’ to ensure babies born alive receive care. The order, which Mr Trump signed the evening of September 25, means “babies born prematurely or with disabilities receive a basic medical assessment and appropriate care as required by our federal laws”, said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann…
Scientology drug rehab centre highlights lack of regulation in Ireland
If you’ve been to LA, you’re bound to have met them – clean-shaven, young, wearing a neat suit or a business dress – the friendly face of the controversial entity that is the Church of Scientology. The organisation has had a presence in Ireland since 1957, but it’s only recently that they have attempted to…
‘Seek out the lost’ during pandemic bishop tells newly ordained Kilmore priest
Bishop Martin Hayes has told Kilmore diocese’s newest priest that his calling “may cause many to be fearful” but that he must “seek out the lost” as the current pandemic continues to cause strife across Ireland. Fr Thomas Small from Belturbet, Co. Cavan, was ordained to the priesthood over the weekend in the Church of…
Archbishop highlights uncertainty in diocesan safeguarding due to virus
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has highlighted the uncertainty surrounding staff cuts and the provision of safeguarding courses due to Covid-19 in a letter to mark Dublin Diocesan Safeguarding Day 2020. Dr Martin said that the archdiocese of Dublin must consider how best to maintain safeguarding as a priority while facing the challenges Covid-19 presents. “You will…
Netflix’s ‘misunderstood’ film Cuties misunderstands child abuse
Netflix has come under criticism, mainly from those on the conservative spectrum, on a number of occasions in recent years for some of the content their platform hosts. However, this all paled into the distance with the release of one of their latest movies, Cuties. Senegalese-French director MaïmounaDoucouré’s debut film, Cuties is described as a…
Uyghur detention centres in Xinjiang are expanding, researchers find
Researchers at an Australian think tank have found that re-education camps for Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region have expanded in the past year, despite government claims that most detainees had been released. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute said in a September 24 report that it had “identified and mapped more than 380 suspected detention facilities in the…