One year ago, the #MeToo movement erupted across much of the Western world, starting in the United States.  The Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was accused by a number of women of sexually assaulting and even raping them (charges he denies), and then other women came forward to say that they had also experienced sexual assault…

Christianity offers an antidote to a harmful individualism, writes David Quinn   A meeting of bishops from all around the world is currently taking place in Rome. Its purpose is to look at the relationship between the Church and young people. There is no one way to look at this question because a huge amount depends…

It is increasingly becoming heretical to say that there are differences between the sexes, writes David Quinn   Not that you would think it from reading our newspapers, but one of the things that Pope Francis frequently criticises is so-called ‘gender ideology’. This is the belief that men and women are the same and if…

The blandness of Francis’ speeches in Ireland is mysterious, writes David Quinn   It is now one month since Pope Francis was in Ireland. If you were to conduct a poll and ask people what they remember about the visit, how would they respond? If you asked them what the Pope had to say, I…

Our Christian faith ultimately rests on Christ himself, writes David Quinn   The faith of many Catholics has suffered another battering recently because of the latest eruption of public anger over abuse scandals. In Germany, a report commissioned by the Catholic bishops there shows that over a 70-year period, more than 3,000 priests have been…

Francis is no bringer of ‘doctrinal apocalypse’, writes David Quinn   Pope Francis does not represent the doctrinal apocalypse as some conservatives seem to think. I say that as someone who is himself a conservative and therefore would be quick to ring the alarm bells if I thought a Pope was about to water down…

Francis wants a moral revolution, writes David Quinn   The Gospel reading at Mass last Sunday is one of the most famous. In it, Jesus condemns the Pharisees for burdening people with man-made customs. He tells them (Mark 7:8): “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions…

Everyone who came away from an encounter with the Pope was uplifted, writes David Quinn   My first reaction to the address by Leo Varadkar to Pope Francis in Dublin Castle was positive but since then it has become a lot less so. Indeed, I think the address, and the reaction of the Government to…

Failures to take hard choices continue to haunt the Church, writes David Quinn   The issue of abuse of children by priests has loomed large over the visit of Pope Francis to Ireland this week, and over the World Meeting of Families, the reason for him being here. The scandals have re-erupted in Chile, Australia…