Brian Jenkins

 Little over a week ago, Catholic Ireland passed legislation permitting abortions.

What happenned?

In "Conscience, a last bulwark against totalitarianism", Vincent Twomey argues that failure within the clergy educational system lead many within the priestly class to remain silent or acquiesce to this shift in values.

The kind of fundamental moral theology taught in seminaries in recent decades is one that, contrary to church teaching, denies there are any moral actions, even abortion, that are intrinsically wrong. The moral evaluation of an action depends rather on motive and circumstance. Such a theology also distinguishes between the moral and legal/political spheres, allowing Catholic politicians to put politics above their “private” moral convictions. This theology, though widespread, is radically at variance with church teaching.

For a background article about these events in Ireland, click here.