It is unfair to blame the Pope for the historical treatment of children in all Western societies, writes Victoria White

The Catholic Church has handed over control of just 11 schools despite efforts by the State to increase diversity in the education system.

Irish students are achieving strong standards in science despite spending less time than most others learning the subject at second-level.

Abortions have risen to an "alarming level", leading Catholics in the UK have said.

A Kerry school has enrolled just nine pupils after a patronage transfer from the Catholic bishop to the local education and training board.

Cork PIHC Round 3: Valley Rovers 1-21 - Blarney 1-8: Cork panellist Chris O’Leary scored 12 points as Valley Rovers took victory last night in the first game in the new Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

A Fine Gael Dáil colleague of Education Minister Richard Bruton insists the decision of Catholic Bishop of Kerry Ray Browne to lease a school near Killarney to a new patron was in line with local decisions.

School facilities will be leased out by bishops and religious orders instead of fully transferred to new non-religious patrons, under Education Minister Richard Bruton’s plan to speed up the widening of choice for parents.

A University College Cork campaign group for refugees is calling on all Catholic bishops to “confirm publicly” that they have the resources to provide shelter for refugee families.

A move towards more State-controlled primary schools, as part of Government plans for the creation of 20 new non-religious schools a year, has been welcomed by Educate Together.

Fr Tony Flannery has spoken about his frustration at the lack of support from the Catholic bishops since being withdrawn from public duties over his views on reforming the church.

A spike in the number of primary school amalgamations could pave the way for divestment of patronage, the Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan has said.

Priests have welcomed a letter from Pope Francis which allows them discretion to formally forgive women who have had abortions.

A senior civil servant predicted chaos in the system if Church leaders followed through on a threat to stop registering marriages after the marriage equality referendum passed.

The Government has rejected claims that State funding for marriage preparation courses provided by the Catholic support agency Accord was withdrawn because of the church’s opposition to same-sex marriage.

We would like to congratulate the new Catholic Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Alphonsus Cullinan, for his encouraging statement on lapsed Catholics and his wish to “reach out to those who have turned away from the practice of the faith, many of whom are in our own families and parish communities”.

The Catholic Church hierarchy here has said it will no longer carry out the civil elements of weddings if marriage is extended to gay couples.

I have just come across the curricula for a Dublin girls’ school.

Your report (Irish Examiner, April 3) headlined Christians “often suffer ridicule or persecution” because of their beliefs on marriage, and attributed to Archbishop Eamon Martin, is only half-true.

DURING an interview given in advance of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference by the Bishop of Elphin Kevin Doran to Newstalk radio yesterday, the Catholic Church’s uncompromising opposition to the idea of same-sex marriage was expressed with an unblinking calm that suggested there can be no compromise on the issue between the Catholic status quo and those who wish to see our Constitution changed to better reflect the reality of the lives we lead.

Pope Francis has ordered Catholic bishops to co-operate as a matter of priority with a commission he set up to protect children from sexual abuse by clerics, even if it unearths new scandals.

Pope Francis has beatified Pope Paul VI and declared that God is not afraid of new things as he concluded a remarkable meeting of bishops on family issues.

Catholic bishops have scrapped their landmark welcome to gays, showing deep divisions at the end of a two-week meeting sought by Pope Francis to chart a more merciful approach to ministering to Catholic families.

Religious-owned secondary schools risk possible closure unless the Government reviews their less favourable public funding, a Catholic education group has said.

Catholic Bishops have released a statement calling on politicians in the North to reject an Assembly motion on same-sex marriage.

I write in connection with Mr Ian Elliott’s sad experience as the chief executive for six years with the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church, as recently reported in several newspapers.

There are no plans to remove the teaching of religion from schools, the Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has insisted.

Priests have accused Education Minister Ruairi Quinn of trying to run religion out of schools with his suggestion that teachers cut religion classes to give more time to maths and reading.

The Catholic Church should publicly state whether it has a policy of refusing communion to TDs who voted for X Case legislation, a Government minister has insisted.

Have the Catholic bishops collectively lost the plot?

The Irish Catholic bishops have been accused of “waving the crozier” at TDs in an attempt to bully politicians on the proposed abortion legislation.

In 1992, the Supreme Court ruled on the X case. After 21 years of inaction from six governments, the rules on abortion may finally change, writes Political Correspondent Mary Regan

By standing up to the Catholic bishops following their latest intervention in the abortion debate, the Taoiseach has accurately read the public mood.

The Coalition has rejected claims by Catholic bishops that citizens should be “deeply concerned” about planned abortion legislation, which is due to be published today.

Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley has said he will boycott a university graduation ceremony because Enda Kenny is attending.

Ireland’s newest and youngest Catholic bishop has used his appointment to weigh into the abortion controversy.

Hospitals with a Catholic ethos have been told they must abide by the law of the land, as ministers hit back at claims that proposed abortion legislation amountedto a denial of religious freedom.

The head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, has signalled a possible legal challenge to proposed abortion legislation unless it is changed.

Cardinal Sean Brady has said that enforcing the proposed abortion legislation across all hospitals could lead to potential legal action against the reforms.

Catholic bishops have branded proposed changes to Ireland’s strict abortion regime as dramatic and morally unacceptable.

A wider information campaign is planned to promote a survey of parents on primary school choices after a mixed response to a trial survey before Christmas.

A referendum to reverse the Supreme Court ruling allowing suicidal women to have abortions would give Irish people “the chance to re-establish what they wished for,” according to Catholic bishops.

Parents in 39 towns and city suburbs will be asked their views from next week on a choice of up to five alternative patrons to their local, Catholic-run, primary schools.