The number of Irish adults who have been through a broken marriage has increased by a massive 500% in the last 25 years. Last week The Iona Institute (which I head) issued a report called Marriage Breakdown and Family Structure in Ireland. The figures in it are drawn from Census 2011 and compare today…
David Quinn
Ireland Stand Up stands up for faith
The View Sometimes in politics, it is not the things you expect that cause a reaction. When the last Government proposed restrictions on the use of the medical card it was probably inevitable that it would cause a major backlash. When a hospital ward is closed a backlash will be absolutely inevitable. But…
Sensing a slight shift in the wind?
Attacks on the Catholic Church have gone too far and people are starting to notice, writes David Quinn It is now 20 years since the Bishop Eamon Casey/Annie Murphy scandal first came to light, and 18 years since the Albert Reynolds/Dick Spring government fell, ostensibly as a result of the Fr Brendan Smyth…
When was Enda right?
Some of us are to blame for the crash, some are not, writes David Quinn When was Enda Kenny correct? Was it when he told us during his State of the Nation address last year that we were not to blame for our current economic woes, or was he correct when he said last…
Change in the seminary
Are reforms at Maynooth for the better or a return to the sort of rigid seminary life of yesteryear, asks David Quinn Last week, this newspaper reported changes that are being undertaken at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, in the wake of the Apostolic Visitation conducted on behalf of the Pope by Cardinal-designate Timothy…
The trial of a Catholic politician in America
Republican candidate Rick Santorum’s Catholicism is making him ‘fair game’ for biased detractors, writes David Quinn Rick Santorum is the American politician who rose to prominence last week because he did well in the first stage of the race to become the Republican party’s presidential candidate in November’s presidential election. Santorum is a Catholic…
What to look for in 2012
This year will present a number of issues of concern, write David Quinn The year ahead looks set to be an extremely important one. Quite apart from the economy, several issues of great importance to Catholics and Christians more generally will be decided as well. For example, by the end of 2012 it…
Dutch report throws new light on abuse problem
The View Child abuse sadly appears to be widespread in all societies, writes David Quinn A major report into the problem of child abuse in the Catholic Church in Holland was published in the run-up to Christmas. The report brings us closer to being able to answer such questions as whether the problem was…
