Even CS Lewis became caught up in the creationism debate; Rector says sorry for not telling flock about killer; Support for church over stance on gay marriage; Pastoral councils urged to put care for the poor on the agenda; National Pastoral conference to aid Church’s renewal and reform; 45 per cent of parents have made no provision for their children’s education; Leaving Cert: New drive to take heat out of points race; Teaching degree changes could hit men; VSO paid for number of politicians in recent years
Even CS Lewis became caught up in the creationism debate
Belfast Telegraph – It’s an issue that is still debated strongly in Northern Ireland today — and one that exercised the intellectual might of Narnia creator CS Lewis back in the 40s.
A rare insight into the author’s views of creationist and evolution theories, religion and the origins of life have been revealed in a batch of letters written by him.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/70yearold-letters-that-reveal-even-cs-lewis-became-caught-up-in-the-creationism-debate-16200419.html
Rector says sorry for not telling flock about killer
Belfast Telegraph – A Church of Ireland rector has apologised to his congregation for not telling them that a convicted murderer and rapist was worshipping among them. Dr Ron Elsdon addressed the issue at St Bartholomew’s Church in south Belfast when he spoke to …
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/vicar-says-sorry-for-not-telling-flock-about-killer-16200133.html
Support for church over stance on gay marriage
Belfast Newsletter – Christian leaders in Northern Ireland have backed the Catholic Church in Scotland, after it said plans to legalise gay marriage had “strained” its relations with the Scottish Government.
The church opposes same-sex marriage, which the Scottish Government last month announced it plans to legalise.
The Scottish Government claimed Alex Salmond and Cardinal Keith O’Brien had an “entirely amicable” phone conversation on the issue at the weekend…
…Canon Ian Ellis, editor of The Church of Ireland Gazette, concurred. He said: “As far as the Church of Ireland is concerned, the General Synod of last May made it very clear that it understands marriage to be between one man and one woman. For that reason the Church of Ireland could not marry same-sex couples. I think it is important, nonetheless, to emphasise that the stance of the Church is not in any way intended to be hostile to gay people.”
A spokesman for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland said yesterday it made clear its opposition to same-sex marriage in March when the Clerk of Assembly, Dr Donald Watts, wrote to the Prime Minister to express “strong support for the retention of the present legal definition of marriage as ‘the permanent and lifelong union of one man and one woman, to the exclusion of all others’.”
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/support-for-church-over-stance-on-gay-marriage-1-4183954
Pastoral councils urged to put care for the poor on the agenda
A leading member of the Irish hierarchy has called on parish pastoral councils to put care for the poor, lonely and outcasts on their agenda.
In his homily at Knock Shrine on Sunday for the national novena, Bishop Christopher Jones of Elphin praised the work of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, which, he said, is doing, “heroic work for the poor, the homeless and rejected.”
However, he suggested that there is a danger that the work done by organisations such as the St Vincent de Paul could be used by the rest of us to let ourselves off the hook in our duty of care for the outcasts. “The rest of us stand back and leave the total responsibility,” to others such as organisations like the St Vincent de Paul, the Bishop commented.
http://www.cinews.ie/article.php?artid=10668
National Pastoral conference to aid Church’s renewal and reform
A three-day national pastoral conference to be held in Athlone in September is aimed at supporting the Irish Church’s renewal and reform according to organisers.
Communion and Co-Responsibility in the Church will take place from September 13 to 15 and is being organised by the Council for Pastoral Renewal and Adult Faith Development, whose Chairman is Bishop Séamus Freeman, in association with the Council for Justice and Peace under Bishop Ray
http://www.cinews.ie/article.php?artid=10670
45 per cent of parents have made no provision for their children’s education
Over two thirds of Irish parents believe they will have to borrow their children’s third level education.
http://www.thejournal.ie/45-per-cent-of-parents-have-made-no-provision-for-their-childrens-education-564977-Aug2012/
Leaving Cert: New drive to take heat out of points race
Independent – Major changes to the university entry system are set to take the heat out of the points race and the annual scramble for college places.
As the 2012 Leaving Cert class looks forward to college, the Irish Independent has learned details of plans to radically ease the pressure for points.
These will include changes to the grades offered at Leaving Cert and to the way courses are taught during the first year in college.
In a groundbreaking initiative, Trinity College confirmed yesterday that it planned to change how it accepted students for its elite law course from 2014, putting more weight on their general performance rather than just their points.
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/education/latest-news/new-drive-to-take-heat-out-of-the-points-race-3206689.html
Teaching degree changes could hit men
Examiner – Planned entry requirement changes for primary teaching degrees could push the job out of reach of even more men, this year’s Leaving Cert results suggest.
The gender breakdown of performance and higher-level participation in English, Irish, and maths show obstacles to male entry to these courses, even based on existing standards.
The profession is dominated by women but there have been campaigns to attract men, particularly at primary level.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/teaching-degree-changes-could-hit-men-204772.html
VSO paid for number of politicians in recent years
Examiner – Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) Ireland runs a politicians for development programme which has paid for a number of senators and TDs to travel to Africa in recent years. VSO is the largest independent volunteer organisation in the world and has reached millions of people, particularly children in poor countries.
The politicians have worked on projects relating to the charity and, according to its executive director Malcolm Quigley, have been involved in helping to promote and raise the profile of programmes on the ground.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/vso-paid-for-number-of-politicians-in-recent-years-204796.html