Two countries last week, two more this week. New Zealand – and Ireland are joining the global move to equality in marriage. In quick succession last week, parliaments (France and Uruguay) approved equal marriage legislation. In both cases, all that is…
Tag Archive for Ireland
Can Irish Bishops Push Back the Gay Marriage Tide?
In July last year, Ireland began a “constitutional convention” process to review several aspects of the Irish constitution, and in particular: Reduction of the Presidential term of office to five years and the alignment with local and European elections; Reduction…
Gay Marriage: Where Next?
The passage of marriage equality in Uruguay will take to fourteen the number of countries where equal marriage applies country wide, either by legislative means (eleven), or de facto by court ruling (Mexico, Brazil). Several more are preparing to follow.…
“The Ire of Eire”: Catholic Rebellion Gathers Steam
Vatican attempts to silence its troublesome Irish priests simply draw more support for reform, and encourage unfavourable comparisons with the lethargic response to the scandals of clerical sexual abuse. Vatican authoritarianism simply feeds the tsunami of resistance building up in…
Irish Catholics Overwhelmingly Support Reform on Sexuality, Ministry
An Irish opinion poll has shown that most Catholics want priests to be allowed to marry, support women’s ordination, want bishops to serve fixed terms, and disagree with Church teaching on homosexuality. Almost nine in 10 Catholics in Ireland want…
St Patrick: A Gay Role Model?
So why should we see St Paddy as a gay icon? In a notable book on Irish gay history (“Terrible Queer Creatures”) Brian Lacey presents some evidence that Patrick may have had a long term intimate relationship with a man: “St.…
Irish Broadcaster Leaves Church Over Its Refusal to Ordain Women
Broadcaster Olivia O’Leary has, very publicly, left the Catholic Church. The Carlow-born journalist renounced Catholicism because of the church’s refusal to ordain women, though the institutional cover-up of clerical child sex abuse was a “proximate factor”. This Christmas, Ms O’Leary,…
Irish Catholics’ “Unfavourable” View of the Church
Poll: Irish Catholics have unfavorable view of church DUBLIN, IRELAND — In yet another sign that the beleaguered Catholic Church in Ireland has a long and arduous road to a brighter future, almost half of Irish people polled say they…
“Clerical abusers shielded by ‘cabal’” -Dr Diarmuid Martin
The Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin has admitted that “a cabal” protecting clerical sex abusers may be operating at the highest levels in the Catholic Church. Dr Martin said: “There may be a cabal in Cloyne. They may have…
Lone priest speaks out on Cloyne abuse storm A priest in the scandal-hit diocese of Cloyne in Co Cork has urged his fellow clerics to speak out and defy the “culture of fear” that pervades the Catholic Church. Fr Joseph McGuane has…
