#614 Catholic by Force or by Faith

In this episode of Niall Asks, Niall is joined by Jason Osburn of Gript Media to discuss and debate a recent Irish Times piece by former President Mary McAleese that challenges long-standing assumptions about religion, children’s rights, and Catholic education in Ireland.

Using baptism as her starting point, McAleese argues that Catholic Church canon law enrols children into lifelong religious membership before they are capable of consent, raising serious questions about compatibility with international human rights standards such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. She contends that concepts like “renewing baptismal promises” are legally and morally incoherent, and that canon law offers no meaningful right to exit the Church — even in adulthood.

Niall puts the central question to Jason: Is indoctrination into Catholicism really such a bad thing?

Or is it a mischaracterisation of tradition, culture, and parental rights in a country with deep religious roots?

The conversation ranges across faith, law, consent, education, and identity, probing whether Ireland has fully reckoned with the tension between religious institutions and modern understandings of individual rights — especially those of children.

A challenging, thoughtful discussion at the intersection of belief, power, and freedom.