The Church in Germany’s synodal pathway is the biggest threat to Church unity since the Reformation, writes David Quinn The Catholic Church in Germany has embarked on what it calls a ‘synodal pathway’ to re-examine teachings and practices of the Church in light of the abuse scandals. But the path it appears to wish to…
It is time to step up and embrace the call to prophetic witness, writes David Quinn A strange thing has happened since the abortion referendum of 2018, namely the Church in Ireland has almost completely stopped talking about the issue. Church leaders rarely preach about marriage and the family either, or more accurately, about why…
Catholics must support a swift peaceful resolution in Ukraine to avoid further catastrophe, writes David Quinn It still seems hard to believe that a major war is taking place again on European soil. It is not the first since the Second World War, of course. Long-running conflicts took place when Yugoslavia broke up in the…
Whether the review of abortion legislation is window-dressing or serious remains to be seen writes David Quinn The operation of Ireland’s abortion law is under review. It was introduced in January 2019, following the referendum of the previous year. In the first two years of its operation, the law resulted in the loss of more…
We are called to be more energised Christians with a stronger pastoral and missionary sense, writes David Quinn Most parishes are now holding meetings, or gatherings, to consider the future of the Church ahead of a Synod in Rome next year. In its own words, the purpose of that synod is “not to produce documents,…
The Church is asked to sell its land for housing, then blocked from doing so, writes David Quinn The Catholic Church is often asked to sell or donate some of its lands to help address the housing shortage. But now in Dublin it is being blocked in certain instances from doing exactly that. It is…
Having a child should not be reduced to a transaction like buying something in a shop, writes David Quinn “I’m a 37-year-old single woman and I desperately want to become a mother”, says the letter-writer to the agony aunt at the Irish Independent. She explains that she has more or less given up on finding…
Organised religion is a net force for good in the world, writes David Quinn The Oxford Union is regarded as the most prestigious university debating society in the world. Last week, the proposition for debate was, ‘This House would move beyond organised religion’. One of the speakers opposed to the motion was the Catholic archbishop…
Remaking classics to fit in with modern feminist sensibilities violates the spirit of Tolkien, writes David Quinn The first Lord of the Rings movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, was released 20 years ago in December. Directed by Peter Jackson it was a faithful adaptation of the book of the same name by JRR Tolkien…
We must devise policies that make it easier for couples to have children and start their families sooner, writes David Quinn Critics of the Church often like to point out that the Mass-going population of the country is shrinking and getting older all the time. It’s true, but what they often fail to notice, is…