Dear Editor, As I sit here tonight my wife is in the next room being treated by the palliative care team. She was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour and her life expectancy was estimated to be 3 or 4 months. I struggled for a few weeks trying to help her as she needed to…
Category: Letters
We need a campaign to encourage support for family life
Dear Editor, While politicians campaign on issues such as climate change, Trump-economics, migrant pressures, etc., they ignore the writing on the wall; our birth-rate is in free-fall. In many parts of Europe, their birth rate has plunged to less than half that needed for replacement. Our collective unwillingness to make a healthy family life possible leaves…
Myanmar Church can be helped with Synodality, Japanese cardinal-elect says
Letter from Asia Nirmala Carvalho (CRUX) According to Japanese Cardinal-elect Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo, the political situation in Myanmar “is still not stable,” when marking Myanmar Day on November 17. Bishop Celso Ba Shwe of Loikaw was present at the event. He had to abandon his cathedral in Kayah State due to the fighting…
Bring permanent residents back to cities
Dear Editor, In recent years one can observe the poor maintenance of both civic and privately owned historical buildings in the centre of Irish cities and large towns. “Not enough chimney pots” a politician told me. What he was saying is that there are little or no Dáil votes to be had in city centre areas…
Shifting resources to support assisted dying
Dear Editor, Discussions about legalising assisted suicide raise serious concerns about the protection of the vulnerable and the potential consequences. If assisted suicide becomes law, the elderly, the sick, and people with disabilities may face subtle pressures, both social and economic, to choose death rather than life. A culture will emerge where individuals are made…
Engaging youth is not just about retention
Letter of the week Dear Editor, As parishes face financial challenges, we must focus on reaching the next generation as Archbishop Martin says [The Irish Catholic – October 24, 2024], particularly at the parish level. The future of the Church depends on young people feeling not only welcome but also actively involved in the…
She took her last breath and death was defeated
Letter of the week Dear Editor, Unfortunately, none of us escapes death. It waits for us around the corner, and can appear suddenly, very unwelcome. You can’t dodge or jump over it. You are going to die. How does it happen? I have followed several people at the end of life, as part of my…
Ensuring next generation holds faith
Letter of the week Ensuring next generation holds faith Dear Editor, I must comment on Bro. Richard Hendrick’s insights on the need for deeper and more meaningful catechesis [The Irish Catholic – October 10, 2024]. His emphasis on not just imparting information, but leading people into an experience of prayer and connecting them with the…
We must not be complacent on hate speech laws
Letter of the week We must not be complacent on hate speech laws Dear Editor, I was heartened to read that the proposed hate speech legislation had been shelved, at least for now, as reported in your recent article [The Irish Catholic – September 26, 2024]. The decision by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to…
Every attempt is seized on to attack the Church
Letter of the week Every attempt is seized on to attack the Church Dear Editor, Apparently, we will soon exercise our democratic right to vote in a general election. The Sunday Independent poll tells us that two-thirds of the population back a Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael coalition for another term. These parties have a majority in…