Dear Editor, I have noted your piece on the proposal to relocate some holy days to the nearest Sunday, that of All Saints on November 1 and that of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 (IC 16/11/17). I would see that as one more instance of an ongoing cave in or sell out to secularism. Furthermore, when holy days are gone, Sundays go soon after in practice as we see happening already in the way people use that day for work and shopping.
That the holydays are not being observed in a country which is more than 80% Catholic is indeed a scandal. It shows how much Our Lady and the saints mean to most of these Catholics in practice when they won’t take a day off to honour them but will gladly do so when the State or the banks call a holiday.
The solution I propose is that priests, in unison, preach the meaning of these holydays and also the obligation that there is on Catholics to observe them, an obligation which traditionally was said to bind under pain of mortal sin. But then, the words ‘sin’ and ‘obligation’ have gone out of fashion for many years now. This, I believe, is due to a false sense of ‘pastoral sensitivity’ which does not want to ruffle the feathers of cosy Catholics, in this case those in business and their customers, lest they be offended or lose profit. So, to say nothing (other than some pious platitudes) and let the sell out roll on seems to be the rule and everyone is happy. But I wonder if Our Lady and the saints are happy with that?
Yours etc.,
Fr Richard O’Connor,
Rome, Italy.
Vast majority of children have smooth transition from care
Dear Editor, I read Chai Brady’s article – ‘Children leaving State care face immediate homelessness’ (IC 9/11/17) with interest. It is a tragedy for any young person to be homeless. Young people leaving State care need additional supports, and a minority have specific challenges.
Children and young people admitted to care who have had life experiences characterised by neglect or child abuse can suffer from long-term emotional and physical wellbeing impairment as a result. As indicated in the article, a significant percentage – in some cases 40% or 50% of users of the specialised support services named (Focus Ireland, Merchants Quay Ireland and the Peter McVerry Trust) have formerly lived in care, and of course will be vulnerable to being homeless. The services mentioned are to be commended for the valuable support they provide to this vulnerable group.
Your readers may be interested to learn more about the general situation for young people leaving State care. In the age range of young people outlined in the article, 18 to 25 years, between 2,400 to 3,000 young people left care at age 18. The vast majority of children in care live with foster families, so it is heartening to know that 47% of care leavers, in receipt of an aftercare service remain living with their foster carers, while 21% live independently.
Some 11% had returned home and 7% were either in a residential centre or in supported lodgings. Bearing in mind that the desire of young people to live independently or to return home may not always work out, the recently introduced legislation for Aftercare welcomes young people who were in care to come back to Tusla to seek supports until they are 21 years of age.
It is worthwhile remembering that many young people leaving care make the transition from childhood into their adult lives successfully, with the support and training they need. Homelessness, or the threat of homelessness, is not a prospect or an outcome for the majority of young people leaving care.
Yours etc.,
Alan Breen,
Head of Communications,
Tusla Child and Family Support Agency,
Dublin 8.
Mass should have sacral language
Dear Editor, I was delighted to read in your newspaper that the Irish bishops’ conference have no plans to change the translation of the Mass (IC 30/11/1717).
The current translation of the Mass is very faithful to the Latin original and captures the importance of using sacral language for the worship of God. For too long the people of God have had to put up with bizarre distortions where the priest tries to turn himself into a performer rather than concentrating the hearts and minds of the faithful on the things that are of God.
Yours etc.,
Mary Moloney,
Sligo, Co. Sligo.
We should follow the ‘Prince of Peace’ on his path
Dear Editor, I must take issue with your recent correspondent concerning the “just war” teaching (IC 30/11/17). I hope that Pope Francis does change this teaching. I feel that war is inherently unjust; it rains down death and destruction on soldiers and civilians, the good and bad, the innocent and the guilty, badness and guilt being very much in the eye of the beholder.
My attitude comes from Scripture, namely “Thou shalt not kill”, “Blessed are the peacemakers”, “Turn the other cheek”, “Do not resist the evildoer”. How much of the current teaching is down to the Church having become too close to the state in the past with a consequent requirement to support the state’s wars?
Non-violent resistance does work. Note, for instance, the success of Mahatma Gandhi and Rev. Martin Luther King; the peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy; the largely-peaceful overthrow of communism; the heroic resistance of Denmark to the Nazi tyranny which saved the lives of Danish Jews, to mention just a few.
Surely if we call Jesus the ‘Prince of Peace’ we should follow him in that path.
Yours etc.,
Michael Daly,
Clonsilla, Dublin 15.
A return to Latin should be on the cards
Dear Editor, Now that the bishops have decided that they will not give up the new translation of the Mass in English (IC 30/11/17) it is time for them to take seriously the traditional form of the Mass. If one goes to the trouble of attending the Extraordinary Form of the Mass at the many churches where it is offered in Ireland, one will immediately be struck by the number of young people – including young families – who choose to attend. This should provide food for thought and priests and bishops should surely be promoting this form of worship.
It is not unrealistic to hope for a day when the liturgy will be restored to its former glory and the entire Church will be united again in the great act of worship offering the Mass with one voice using the Latin tongue.
Yours etc.,
Peter Murphy,
Drogheda, Co. Louth.
Don’t forget the brothers!
Dear Editor, I was happy to read in your paper a brief book review, Good Seed, Fertile Soil, Religious Vocations in Limerick by Peter Costello (IC 23/11/17). He states for the author, a Presentation Brother, it is a work of love for the past of Limerick Diocese, with brief biographies of priests and nuns who worked there. However, he omitted to recognise and acknowledge the work of many brothers from different congregations who worked both locally and on the missions overseas. Bro. J.M. Feheney himself being one of them.
Yours etc.,
Bro. Rupert O’Sullivan,
Presentation Brothers Province Leadership Team,
Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
Time for a creative answer to rough sleeping
Dear Editor, as we all know there are many people sleeping rough at night under cold, wet and unsafe conditions in our cities. As we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus who also had to sleep in rough accommodation along with Mary and Joseph it’s time for some practical action: why not accommodate these people overnight in our major railway stations which at least are dry and have toilet facilities?
It would also make it easier for those great volunteers who do nightly soup runs to help our fellow Christians.
These railway stations also have catering facilities open every morning so these rough sleepers could be given a voucher for a hot breakfast.
Obviously one would need to hire some security personnel overnight to ensure the safety of these guests.
Irish Rail also have lots of empty carriages no longer in use which could be adapted for sleeping, parked at designated stations and used to accommodate people overnight.
Volunteers could come in once a week to clean and refresh these carriages at no cost to Irish Rail or the State.
Rough sleepers in return could be asked to vacate these stations by 8am and not to beg inside the stations from commuters.
Yours etc.,
Liam de Paor,
Carrickane, Co. Cavan.