Madam, — Brendan Butler (November 7th) believes that what Cardinal Brady said recently on the prospects for children of cohabiting couples was "dire". We cannot, however, remain ignorant of the facts: one in four children of cohabiting couples experiences household breakdown before starting school, compared with one in 10 children of married couples.
Mr Butler goes on to say that "Irish society has irrevocably moved on from being one where the Catholic Church's teaching on morality and social issues were inscribed in law". Yes, there are people in Ireland who have turned their backs on Catholic Church teaching. But that does not mean they are right to do so or that their efforts to find their "own particular human right to happiness" are admirable.
The above facts clearly support this. Let's not emphasis Cardinal Brady's "no" to cohabitation, but his "yes" to preserving the beauty of marriage and the best welfare of children which it provides.
I believe there needs to be reform of how the Church's teaching is shared with young people. If we feel the legislation is "repressive", it's not the legislation that should change, but our misunderstanding of it.
Catholic teaching on social and moral issues is not a menu from which to choose options or teachings which suit oneself. - Yours, etc,