Tag Archives: Catholic Church

Penitent: “Bless me Father…..I have being sexually abusing your little niece for a number of years and I have never been caught.”

Priest: “Oh…”

Earlier: The Long Arm Of (Canon) Law

Thanks Commenter ‘Cobweb’

So you’re a young gay schoolkid.

And then this happens:

The Roman Catholic church has written to every state-funded Catholic secondary school in England and Wales asking them to encourage pupils to sign a petition against gay marriage. Students at one school in south London were shown a presentation on religious opposition to the government’s plans to let gay couples marry in civil ceremonies.

Catholic Church Urges Pupils To Sign Anti-gay Marriage Petition (The Guardian)

A more aggressive campaign among youngsters in the US has led to a number of teen suicides, documented in this heart-wrenching Rolling Stone article from February.

The Communications Office of the Irish bishops has demanded a full apology and retraction from radio presenter Ray D’Arcy after he told listeners “the Catholic Church, in many ways, has fucked up this country”.

In his letter to station bosses, [Catholic communications chief Martin] Long said: “Mr D’Arcy’s statement is grossly offensive and factually inaccurate. All those who hold the Catholic faith dear are deeply insulted by this appalling language.

“By any objective or subjective measure, lay and religious members of the Catholic Church have and continue to contribute to the common good of our society, particularly in the areas of poverty, social justice, health and education.

 

Long has demanded that the station and presenter retract the “insulting” and “offensive” comment on air tomorrow.

Hmm.

Church Demands A Full Apology For D’Arcy’s F-word Accusation (Jerome Reille, Sunday Independent)

(Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland)

Internal Department of Education documents obtained by RTÉ under Freedom of Information legislation show that the Department of Education gave guarantees that Catholic children in the new schools would receive a full separate Catholic religious education, even though it was already clear that Catholic children would be in a minority in the new schools.

New Details Of State Guarantees To Catholic Church Over Primary School Education (RTE)

 

In 2007 the effects of unprecedented levels of immigration plunged the education system here into crisis. Suddenly it was clear that there were not enough Primary school places to cater for all. It was also clear that our traditional, largely Catholic primary school system needed urgent reform.

The then Minister for Education Mary Hanafin announced a brand new kind of school called the Community National School. Its aim; to educate all comers, from all religious backgrounds and none.

But, according to papers obtained by RTE:

State gave Commitments To Catholic Church On Education (RTE)

 

The Roman Catholic Church is planning to enlist the support of more than a million regular worshippers in opposition to Government plans for same-sex marriage.
Senior bishops are preparing to draw up a letter to be read at Masses across England and Wales when the Government consultation on plans to redefine marriage gets under way later this month, it is understood.
It would be only the second time in recent history that a joint pastoral letter on behalf of all Catholic bishops in England and Wales has been issued on an issue of political importance.
The move is being proposed as the debate over extending marriage to homosexual couples gathers momentum. At the weekend Cardinal Keith O’Brien (left), the most senior Catholic cleric in Britain, accused the Coalition of trying to “redefine reality” and branded the proposals a “grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right”

 

Catholics Will Be Called To Oppose Gay Marriage (Telegraph)

Really?

The Irish Examiner sought to view, under the Freedom of Information Act, all letters and emails received by Mr Gilmore on the subject in the 12 days after the announcement of the decision.

A total of 102 records were released, 95 of which criticised the decision to close the embassy and just seven of which were supportive. In percentage terms, that meant 93.1% of the responses were critical and 6.9% supportive.

Ah.

Public Decries Closure of Embassy Of The Vatican (Paul O’Brien, Irish Examiner)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS8VfqmZUUU&feature=player_embedded

Dublin says no.

From The Line (Ireland)
Thanks Eoin

Why is Vatican So Miffed About Reaction To Cloyne Report (Patsy McGarry, Irish Times)