Monthly Archives: January 2013

X v Y

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Quentin

Two important documents have been published recently. One is an account of an interview given by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, the other records a news conference addressed by the Swiss Abbot Martin Werlen. The documents are linked by a common … Continue reading →

Posted in Catholic Herald columns, Church and Society | 69 Comments

Talking to the tooth fairy

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Quentin

It’s that man again! I tried saying: Get thee behind me, Satan. But he took no notice. We’ll just have to face up to Advocatus Diaboli again. Hello, folks! I seem to have spent some time in the past laying … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocatus Diaboli, Quentin queries, Spirituality | 81 Comments

Oh, silly me!

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Quentin

Are you easily fooled? Recently I went to a price comparison site before I renewed some insurance. And – way ahead of competitors – was a company offering the lowest rate. Not being easily fooled, I Googled the company, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio-ethics, Catholic Herald columns, Quentin queries | 91 Comments

Added emphasis

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Quentin

I think it was Ronald Knox who described heresy as elevating one aspect of dogma at the expense of another. Thus our belief in free will and our belief in the power of grace are so difficult to reconcile that … Continue reading →

Posted in Church and Society, Moral judgment, Philosophy, Spirituality | 65 Comments

Letter to a grandson

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Quentin

We live in a society in which sexual relationships are common among young people. It may be socially acceptable, but the risks and the penalties remain the same. I did not compose the following letter in the abstract: I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Bio-ethics, Catholic Herald columns, Church and Society, Moral judgment | Tagged | 53 Comments