Review includes – Irish Presbyterian Church ‘No’ To Same-Sex Marriage; Irish bishops ‘stalling over shake-up’; Robinson sells ‘open’ unionism in Dublin
Irish Presbyterian Church ‘No’ To Same-Sex Marriage
The Presbyterian Church has expressed to Prime Minister David Cameron its strong support for the retention of the present legal definition of marriage and its rejection of any introduction of same-sex marriages.
The views are stated in a letter to the Prime Minister from Clerk of the Presbyterian General Assembly Rev Donald Watts.
Dr Watts writes, “The General Board of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has instructed me to write on behalf of the Church to express its 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'”.
The General Board is the most representative body of the Church, which has the authority to speak for the Church when the 1200 strong General Assembly, which usually meets annually, is not in session.
The letter concludes by urging Mr Cameron not to consider any change in the present definition of marriage.
“In writing to you the General Board is repeating the accepted teaching of the Church, reflected in a report to the General Assembly of 1979. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland would urge you not to consider any change in the present definition of marriage.”
http://www.presbyterianireland.org/news/news2012/news0806.html
Clerical abuse survivors asked: Have church officials reached out to you?
thejournal.ie – A survivors’ support group is asking survivors of clerical abuse in Ireland to take part in a research project to discover the extent of the assistance offered to them by the Catholic Church. The appeal has come in the wake of the recent Vatican …
http://www.thejournal.ie/clerical-abuse-survivors-asked-have-church-officials-reached-out-to-you-401811-Mar2012/
Irish bishops ‘stalling over shake-up’
The Tablet –
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/latest-news/3989
Irish Times – Michael Commane OP writes – In Ireland not too long ago it was part of the daily staple to hear that the Irish State and the Catholic Church were the one true way for us to find our national and eternal salvation. And if you did not subscribe to that shocking vision of life you might easily be marginalised, laughed at and bullied. Maybe even worse, there was a lurking belief that the new Ireland had a special relationship to Catholicism and so a unique link with God.
Last week in Ireland we had the perfect simulation of aspects of the reality that brought about the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. Early in the week we had the church leaders turn and squirm, and just two days later it was the turn of political leaders. Both groups had been discovered in the court of public opinion to have lied and cheated. The public outrage is not with human failings but rather with the cover-up and lies that both groups have been able to perpetrate because of their power and privilege.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2012/0331/1224314163797.html
Spiritans religious order to be audited on sex abuse
Irish Times – The Irish province of the Spiritans (Holy Ghost Fathers) congregation will be the first Catholic male religious order internationally to undergo an audit to establish “the reality of the sexual abuse of children and minors by clergy, religious or …
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0331/1224314164029.html
Church is approaching breaking point
Drogheda Independent – By Fr brian Whelan: The long awaited Vatican Report into the Irish Church was published last week. A couple of weeks ago, the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin was quoted as saying that the Church in Ireland is at breaking point.
http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/lifestyle/church-is-approaching-breaking-point-3063922.html
Irish bishops: God silent and unmissed in the lives of many
Scottish Catholic Observer – In a pastoral letter issued yesterday, entitled: Repent and Believe the Good News, the bishops reiterated the importance of repentance for the Irish Catholic Church. The bishops warned that there are ‘many spheres of life in which even believers rarely …
http://www.sconews.co.uk/news/17647/irish-bishops-god-silent-and-unmissed-in-the-lives-of-many/
US order to open monastery in Meath
Irish Times – “Given the immense number of priests and religious who left their native Ireland to establish and serve the church in the United States, it seems to me that the hour has now come for some Americans to return love for love by leaving the United States …
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0328/1224314008240.html
Ireland remains overwhelmingly Catholic
Irish Times – Ireland remains the overwhelmingly Catholic country of the English-speaking world, according to results of the April 2011 census, published yesterday. Over 84 per cent of people in the Republic, or 3.86 million, described themselves as Roman Catholic in that census.. Among those who did declare themselves last year the next largest grouping to those with “no religion” are members of the Church of Ireland who now number 129039, an increase of 6.4 per cent on their 121229 figure in 2006. Presbyterian numbers are up …
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0330/1224314101049.html
Priest shot in South Africa tell his fascinating story to Peace Group
Coleraine Times – At their March meeting in St. Patrick’s Hall, Portrush, members of the Causeway Coast Peace Group heard an inspiring talk from Fr. Kieran Cray, who lived and worked in South Africa where he was seriously injured in a shooting incident which was part of a robbery.
http://www.colerainetimes.co.uk/news/local/priest-shot-in-south-africa-tell-his-fascinating-story-to-peace-group-1-3672034
Divorce rates soar in Ireland as population continues to expand
IrishCentral – Church of Ireland is the next biggest religion – 129000 people; with Muslims numbering 49200 (up from 32600 in 2006). Louth has the highest proportion of Roman Catholics; the Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown area has the lowest. Almost 20000 Irish people …
http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Divorce-rates-soar-in-Ireland-as-population-continues-to-expand-145121415.html
Census shows population growth, except in Cork City
Cork Independent – This continues a well-established trend in Ireland. Despite the scandals that have plagued the Catholic Church in Ireland, a surprising amount of people still define ourselves as Catholics. 84 per cent of people described themselves as Roman Catholic, …
http://corkindependent.com/stories/item/8370/2012-14/Census-shows-population-growth,-except-in-Cork-City
Over 805,000 out of 1.6m register for household charge before deadline
TheJournal.ie – Just over half of those expected to pay the €100 tax did so before last Saturday night’s deadline.
http://www.thejournal.ie/over-805000-out-of-1-6m-register-for-household-charge-before-deadline-403283-
Robinson sells ‘open’ unionism in Dublin
News Letter – Unionism must look to its founding principles from Edward Carson and once again reach out to people of all religions and traditions, Peter Robinson urged last week in Dublin. Stormont’s First Minister said he wished to broaden the appeal of the unionist brand to incorporate a “patchwork quilt” of identities and faiths who all share a common belief that Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom. The DUP leader set out his vision for the future of unionism – one that Catholics could feel affinity with – as he delivered the Edward Carson lecture in Dublin. The event hosted by the Irish government in Iveagh House, near Carson’s birthplace, reflected on the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant against Home Rule in Ireland.
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/robinson-sells-open-unionism-in-dublin-1-3682890