Dear Editor, I read with great interest the interventions of my learned brother Prof. Tom Whelan. Fr Tom is very right that the local Catholics in these territories need the priests ‘ten times more than we do’. I am very much aware that my brother being versed in liturgy knows more than I do that…
Category: Letters
Polarisation on immigration order of the day
Dear Editor, There has been a lot of controversy recently regarding immigration with one side expressing concern over its level or type and the other condemning them as simply hating foreign people and being far right. Polarisation is the order of the day and the possibility of a meeting of minds on the subject seems…
Freely discussing the use of fatal poisons
Dear Editor, Esther Ranzen has been pressing for the UK to embrace so-called ‘assisted dying’. The former BBC journalist might wish to consider neonatal medicine advances and English abortion practice. Consider two unborn children at just under 24 weeks into pregnancy. One is for ‘resuscitation’ in a London hospital but ‘termination’ awaits the other. Remember,…
Debating wild requests at funerals
Dear Editor, Over the past few years, dioceses around the country have been debating how to balance the demand for funerals with the diminishing numbers of priests. Before this issue can be addressed, there is however a more fundamental conversation that needs to be had: the question of what a Requiem Mass is and what…
Telling the truth or the whole truth
Dear Editor, In George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four world the bandwagon effect has made people so timid that all enrol for the brainwashing programmers; nobody wants to incur the sanctions of ‘Big Brother’. In the real world many hide their firmly held beliefs and give way before public opinion. By not daring to speak the truth…
Pray for suffering Christians in Bethlehem
Dear Editor, Christians in Bethlehem are facing immense challenges amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The uncertainty and fear that has gripped the region has taken a toll on the lives of the residents, especially those who depend on tourism for their livelihoods. Bethlehem is not only a spiritual home but also a…
Harmful practice of broadly labelling all individuals
Dear Editor, I write with a heavy heart in response to the regrettable events that transpired in Dublin on November 23, culminating in riots that have left our community shaken. I implore the Church to take a more resounding and active role in advocating for peace and dialogue during these tumultuous times. In the face of…
Making Newman ‘Doctor of the Church’ very fitting
Dear Editor, Thank you for highlighting calls for Cardinal John Henry Newman to be made a Doctor of the Church [The Irish Catholic – November 23, 2023]. Cardinal Newman’s profound impact on both the Church and society, particularly in Ireland, makes him a deserving candidate for this rare ecclesiastical honour. Cardinal Newman, who was canonised…
Failure to appoint a Head of Theology in Limerick college
Dear Editor, Effective Catholic education within Ireland is dependent on, amongst other things, the presence of third level theology departments who can provide training for a Catholic laity who are going to be ever more important in the 21st Century Church. In that regard, the ongoing failure to appoint a Head of Theology in Mary…
Liturgy of the Hours better than ‘Communion Services’
Dear Editor, I wish to commend you on your article, ‘We need a rethink on Communion Services’ [The Irish Catholic – November 9, 2023]. Your suggestion that the praying of the Liturgy of the Hours by parishioners might be a preferable option to ‘Communion Services’ is worthy of serious consideration. The revision of the divine office after…
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