You might very well think it is an obvious thing for a priest to say but recently, I have been thinking a lot about Faith. A few weeks ago, the Harvard business school professor, Arthur C. Brooks, shocked RTÉ radio presenter, Brendan O‘Connor by suggesting that the two most important things that guarantee a happy…

Anyone with a sense of compassion can feel sympathy for a person with gender dysmorphia – someone who strongly believes that they were ‘born into the wrong body’, and feels driven to change their gender. There are numerous cases in Ireland, north and south, of transgender people who have undergone such a transition. Agree Not…

The View During these weeks priests are on the move across Ireland. Some will retire completely, others, will continue to minister as pastors emeritus, some will take responsibility for their first parish, others – young in ministry will move to new parishes – or even, in the very exceptional case to their first parish as curate. It is…

The Government has chosen to ignore the facts to make a political point, writes David Quinn The Government seems intent on passing a so-called ‘safe access zone’ law. The very term ‘safe access’ is a loaded one. It implies that if pro-life activists are anywhere near a hospital or clinic that provides abortions, women will…

The planned destruction of the families, languages, cultures and traditions of the Indigenous communities of Canada through the residential school system was “genocide,” Pope Francis has said. Asked by an Indigenous reporter why he did not use the word genocide while in Canada, the Pope said, “I didn’t use the word because it did not…

Recently I had reason to call a support line to discuss problems with a service. Over the space of four days, I called and though I spoke to someone each time, the situation remained unresolved. I arrived at the stage where I did not have to wait for the instruction to press ‘One’ or ‘Two’…

Pope Francis is absolutely right to carry out his ‘penitential pilgrimage’ to Canada and unreservedly apologise for abuse, cruelty and mistreatment which First Nation children suffered in Canadian government institutions run by the Catholic Church. Wherever abuse, whether sexual or physical, has occurred, it should be named, investigated and the victims given full entitlements to…

The View Funeral after funeral. That is how this summer has been for me — sudden deaths, accidents, and deaths that were a long time in coming but shocking, nonetheless. There were funerals of young people or young at heart people, interspersed with anniversary masses. Oddly, perhaps the most difficult funeral was the one I…

For those who believe strongly in the importance of marriage, is it even worth fighting for anymore asks David Quinn It seems we might have another referendum on the family next year. That’s if the Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality has its way. The committee has in its sights the sections of the Constitution that…