Few things cause Christianity more trouble in the Western world than what it has to say about sexual morality, writes David Quinn Pope Francis knows that the gulf between the Church and secular society when it comes to sex is massive and is trying to address it by softening the edges and presentation of that…
What to expect when the Mother and Baby home report is issued
The stigmatising of unmarried mothers and their babies was wrong, but we should know that it was not confined to Ireland or Catholicism, writes David Quinn On October 30, the long-awaited report of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation will be delivered to the Government. Ahead of the delivery and publication of the…
Denying our heritage is denying who we are
Nothing has had a more formative influence upon Ireland and Europe than Christianity, writes David Quinn State-run secondary schools are set to end a policy of Christian-only symbols on their walls, put the celebrations of other religions on a par with Christian celebrations such as Christmas, and end compulsory attendance at school Masses. The news…
The deep Christian roots of fraternity
The Pope is asking the world to tap into the wellspring of the Faith, writes David Quinn Francis’ latest encyclical is a call to universal brotherhood and sisterhood, or fraternity. Its title is Fratelli Tutti – brothers all, a phrase associated with St Francis of Assisi, after whom the Pope named himself. The idea of…
The hands that rock the cradle of US law can reset the agenda
American liberals are horrified at the thought of a Supreme Court judge imposing their view on the law, writes David Quinn The US Supreme Court is an extremely powerful body. Unlike in Ireland, it is very difficult to pass a constitutional referendum in the United States, and therefore when the Supreme Court passes a judgement,…
The Government has relegated Mass to a recreational activity
While fighting Covid-19 might save lives, it can also cost lives, livelihoods and future prospects, writes David Quinn At the time of writing, Dublin appears to be the only place in the whole of Europe that does not permit public worship, including public Masses. Places with much higher infection rates than Dublin are permitting public…
Everyone can die with dignity without the need to deliberately end their lives
The latest push in the culture of death would normalise suicide, writes David Quinn This week a new bill called the ‘Dying with Dignity Bill 2020’ was brought before the Dáil. It has been introduced by left-wing TD, Gino Kenny. Don’t be fooled by the title. All of us want to die with dignity. This…
We have become prejudiced against celibacy
There appears to be no evidence that priests are more likely to abuse children than other clergy from other religious traditions which permit marriage, writes David Quinn The Vatican has just made a comprehensive response to an abuse commission in Australia. A bit of background is useful. In 2017, a Commission of Inquiry produced a…
Atheism’s irrational denial of free will is plain to see
Many people who don’t believe in God do believe that human behaviour is simply the result of social conditioning, writes David Quinn Atheists often enjoy making sport of religion. They mock us for believing in the ‘great sky-fairy’ (meaning God), or the virgin birth, or that a man can walk on the water, or rise…
Applying both mercy and standards to ‘Golfgate’
While we think we have become a less judgemental society, we have simply found new things to be judgemental about, writes David Quinn The revelation that 81 people, including some sitting politicians and other very senior members of the Irish establishment attended a golfing dinner in Clifden recently has caused understandable outrage among many members of…