A former Dublin Lord Mayor has said he is “shocked” by a radical Church plan that would see the capital’s pro-cathedral on the city’s northside lose status as the mother church of the diocese in favour of another parish on the southside. Proposals to move the seat of Dublin’s archbishop from St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in…
Month: June 2023
No consultation with Mary Immaculate staff who are ‘in the dark’ until November
Mary Immaculate College leadership will not be consulting staff until November 2023 regarding the historic negotiation between Mary Immaculate College (MIC) and University of Limerick (UL) for closer alignment. MIC President Eugene Wall announced in an email that staff won’t be consulted until after the first phase of negotiations conclude in September or October. The…
Synod expert urges caution over irresponsible framing of sexuality discussions
An expert on synodality has urged caution in discussions of sexuality and gender, warning that partisan framing is “irresponsible”, especially where the science is uncertain. There is wisdom in knowing where Church teaching can and must be changed on sexuality, Prof. Massimo Faggioli said at a conference in All Hallows on Saturday, June 24. “On…
Surge in abortions a humanitarian crisis says TD Tóibín
As pro-lifers around the country gear up for Saturday’s Rally for Life, the Department of Health has revealed that 8,156 abortions took place in 2022. Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín lamented the “heart breaking statistic”, calling the surge in the number of abortions “a humanitarian crisis”. “Over 8,000 unborn children in Ireland had their lives ended…
Report lays bare reality of abortion in Ireland
Abortion providers in Ireland have expressed moral doubts about the ‘service’, saying it can be “very, very difficult”, according to a peer reviewed article published last week. The article entitled “I suppose we’ve all been on a bit of a journey’: a qualitative study on providers’ lived experiences with liberalised abortion care in the Republic…
Three formal complaints over Mary Immaculate recruitment process
Three formal complaints have been lodged with Mary Immaculate College (MIC) over the recruitment process for the Head of Theology role, The Irish Catholic has learned. There were “substantive issues” with the process, including the shortlisting for interviews, sources say, with three complainants formally contacting the college through their union. It is unclear under which…
Religious freedom a ‘barometer’ of human rights in a country
A new Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) report has revealed that over 50% of people live in a country with serious religious persecution, with ACN Ireland director Michael Kinsella saying that religious freedom is a “very telling barometer” of the extent of human rights within a country. The 2023 Religious Freedom in the…
Irish nun and education reformer dies in India
Irish missionary Sr Cyril Mooney, whose work enabled thousands of disadvantaged girls in India to receive proper education, has died in Kolkata at the age of 86. Sr Mooney was an “eminent educational reformer, social worker and friend of the poor”, according to Chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee. “Her contribution to State welfare…
Doctors concerned ‘conversion therapy’ bill may hamper medical help
Legislation to criminalise so-called “conversion therapy” practices in Ireland is unnecessary and could impede patients suffering with gender dysphoria from getting medical help, according to doctors with the National Gender Service (NGS). Responding to an announcement by the Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman that he would bring forward legislation in the coming weeks with a view…
The ‘brave new world’ of the dramatic increase in egg freezing
The impact of the Covid-19 lockdown will probably be with us for years: an increase in working from home, the development of more Zoom screen technology, and indeed, the streaming of Mass are among these observed. And now, another outcome is claimed: a record rise in the number of single women freezing their eggs, and…