Church of Mercy or Church of Standards?

Thoughts on the Synod on the Family

A talk by Fr Vincent Twomey with a response by David Quinn 

Chair: Dr John Murray

Where: Davenport Hotel, Dublin

When: 8pm, Thursday, October 23, 2014

Admission: Free

Our most recent event dealt with the topic ‘Church of Mercy or Church of Standards?’

At present there is a debate in the Catholic Church about the meaning of mercy. This has been prompted by the emphasis Pope Francis has been placing on mercy, and also by prominence of the topic in the lead-up to the Synod on the Family in Rome.

But misunderstood, mercy is often pitted against the moral teachings of the Church in areas such as divorce and remarriage.

This isn’t a concern only for the Catholic Church, but for the whole of society. How do we show mercy while at the same time maintaining moral standards? Are the two necessarily in conflict? Is there some way to reconcile them?

Fr Vincent Twomey, Emeritus Professor of Moral Theology at St Patrick’s College, Maynooth discussed this with a response by David Quinn.

The Chair was Dr John Murray was lectures in moral theology at Mater Dei Institute and is Chairman of the Board of The Iona Institute.