Under proposed new divorce legislation unveiled by Justice Secretary David Gauke, a husband or wife only needs to declare that a relationship is irretrievably breakdown. They would not need to provide evidence.

The right of a spouse to contest a divorce would be removed. It has been used in approximately two per cent of cases.

Jonathan Williams from Christian Action, Research and Education (CARE) said: “The Government’s proposals to make divorce easier are incredibly misguided and will undermine marriage.

“If you make it easier to get a divorce, it is inevitable that the divorce rate will go up.

“Today, the Government is putting forward a view of marriage that prioritises individual freedom, rather than encouraging sacrifice and commitment.”

Our response to #nofaultdivorce plan: “The Government is setting out to destroy the foundations of marriage by allowing cheating or bored spouses to walk away from a solemn, lifelong commitment whenever they choose and with the full support, and even encouragement, of the state.”

— CoalitionForMarriage (@c4mtweets) April 9, 2019

Under the current Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, couples seeking a divorce could seek one if one partner is shown to be at fault through adultery, desertion or unreasonable behaviour.

Alternatively, if both parties agree to divorce but blame is not apportioned, a divorce could be granted after they…

Bishop Franco Mulakkal has been charged with rape, illegal confinement and intimidation, said Hari Sankar, a district police chief in the southern state of Kerala, India’s Catholic heartland.

The nun who made the accusations said she went to police last year only after complaining repeatedly to church authorities.

Eventually, a group of fellow nuns launched unprecedented public protests to demand Mulakkal’s arrest.

He was arrested but released after a few weeks.

Mulakkal was the official patron of the nun’s community, the Missionaries of Jesus, and wielded immense influence over its budgets and job assignments.

The nun said the alleged rapes occurred between 2014 and 2016.

Mulakkal has denied the accusations, calling them “baseless and concocted” and saying the accusing nun was trying to pressure him to get a better job.

In February, Pope Francis for the first time publicly acknowledged the sexual abuse of nuns by priests and bishops.

Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane, Francis vowed to confront the problem.

“Should we do something more? Yes. Is there the will? Yes. But it’s a path that we have already begun,” he said.

The Mulakkal case has divided India’s Catholic community, with many people defending the bishop.

In March, the founder of the Vatican’s women’s magazine, along with the magazine’s all-female editorial board, quit their positions, saying a…

Buttigieg is the mayor of South Bend, Indiana and the first openly gay candidate for president in US history.

Speaking at the LGBTQ Victory Fund National Champagne Brunch in Washington, Buttigieg said: “If me being gay was a choice it was a choice made far, far above my pay grade.

“And that’s the thing I wish the Mike Pences of the world would understand.

“That if you have a problem with who I am, your problem is not with me. Your quarrel, sir, is with my creator.”

If I saw a restaurant owner refuse to serve a gay couple, I wouldn’t eat there anymore. http://t.co/QCAPBfnJzL

— Governor Mike Pence (@GovPenceIN) March 30, 2015

Christian Vice President Mike Pence’s stances on LGBT issues have faced criticism from gay rights activists.

Pence was governor of Indiana at the time Buttigieg came out as gay during his June 2015 mayoral re-election campaign, which he went on to win with 78 per cent of the vote.

Buttigieg opened up on Sunday, however about being gay and what his marriage to Chasten, a school teacher, means to him.

“When I was younger I would do anything to not be gay.

“If you had offered me a pill to make me straight I would have swallowed it before you had time to give me a sip of water.

“My marriage to Chasten has made me a better man and, yes, Mr Vice President, it has moved me closer to God.”

Buttigieg was raised Catholic but later became an Episcopalian.