Dear Editor, It was lovely to see at the weekend Pope Francis hosting a lunch for some of Rome’s vulnerable and needy people. It’s a beautiful witness to the Gospel imperative to reach out to those who society forgets. While the critics of the Church will often point to what they perceive to be the Vatican’s wealth as a sign of hypocrisy, all across the world the Church walks the walk on caring for the marginalised. Whether it’s care for those living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries, or the poor and needy in our own country, the Church is always there. In fact, it is often the case in troubled parts of the world that when every other charitable or aid agency pulls out, the Church is the only presence.
This is something we as Catholics should be immensely proud of – not in any arrogant way, but in knowing that we belong to a Church that strives to put the poor at the centre of everything we do.
Yours etc.,
Mary O’Donnell,
Letterkenny, Co. Donegal.
A plea to get away from the path of sin
Dear Editor, The words “trespass” and “trespasses” and the phrase “lead us not into temptation” are translations of the words of Our Lord – and used in my Knox Catholic Bible anyway! (Pray for the Lord’s Supper, Letters, IC, 16/11/17). Paragraph 2863 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “When we say ‘lead us not into temptation’ we are asking God not to allow us to take the path that leads to sin. This petition implores the Spirit of discernment and strength; it requests the grace of vigilance and final perseverance.”
Incidentally, the doxology in the Mass after the ‘Deliver us’ which follows Our Father “For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever” – despite being said as a part of the prayer by most Protestants – is not, in fact, included by Our Lord in the way to pray. It is a paraphrase of the Didache or of a marginal gloss, added centuries ago by an unknown monk, presumably when copying the Bible by hand.
Yours, etc.,
Kieron Wood,
Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.
Time to get the numbers right
Dear Editor, with the Papal Mass with Pope Francis scheduled for the Phoenix Park just nine months away, now is the time for parishes to start to get ready. There are 1,359 parishes in Ireland. At the very least, could every parish commit to bring 100 people who might not be able to make their way to Dublin? It would be a great welcome for our Holy Father.
Yours etc.,
Mary Mitchell,
Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
What about reparation?
Dear Editor, On your ‘World Report’ (IC 2/11/17), you published an astonishing report of a statement by Pope Francis that no matter what crimes we commit throughout our lives all we have to do is “repent with our dying breath” and we will be saved. No mention of reparation. The piece also says that what the Pope means was that “all the good works people have or haven’t done throughout their lives aren’t measured to determine entry into heaven”.
I find that absolutely astonishing. In fact, I very much doubt that the Pope could have made such a statement because what it would mean would be that we can cheat, rob, kill, torture and so on but we needn’t worry because when we are about to meet our maker we can say: “I’m sorry,” and all is forgiven. So why not have a great time here at everybody else’s expense – even the expense of their lives – because it’s all going to be forgiven anyway if we just say ‘sorry’ to God when we’re dying?
I don’t believe that could be right.
Yours etc.,
Pat Naughton,
Clondalkin, Dublin 22.
Overdue thanks to those who build the Kingdom of God
Dear Editor, I like Kathy Sinnott’s (Rosary on the Coast I.C. 26/11/17) and Bishop Doran’s call to prayer to defeat the abortion industry in Ireland. Prayer, like the Rosary, is the ultimate response to the Kenny-Varadkar Modest Proposal (for preventing children from being a burden to the country and making them beneficial to the private abortion industry).
A true pastor will shepherd his flock, with prayer as a priority. The ‘hired hand’ of the Gospel, will promote strategic planning, meetings, administration and maintenance. Pope Francis has all to often challenged us on being “curators of museums”. In his most recent Weekly Audience he states “the encounter with the Lord is always a living encounter, it’s not a museum encounter.”
A sincere thanks to Bishop Doran, Kathy Sinnott and others who build up the Kingdom of God, and not some Marxist utopia.
Yours, etc.,
Declan Cooney,
Birr, Co. Offaly.
Broaden the horizon
Dear Editor, I was delighted to read in your newspaper that Pope Francis is considering the option of ordaining so-called viri probati – men of proven character within a local community as priests. At present, it seems, the Holy Father is only considering this option for the Amazon region. Let’s hope that this will soon be something that is considered for the wider Church.
While many commentators are suggesting that the Pope is only considering the option where there is a shortage of vocations, I would like to propose that the Church widen the horizon and see the great positive benefits that married men can bring to the priesthood.
Already, we have married converts from Anglicanism and Methodism who are working hard in parishes in Britain, the United States and elsewhere. I don’t think anyone would suggest that they are any lesser of a priest because they are married. In fact – with all due respect to celibate priests – I think one can easily argue that their lives experiences of the ups and downs of family life mean that they can bring so much more to their ministry.
A celibate priesthood will always be a feature of the life of the Church, and one that is of tremendous value. Nevertheless, it is time to enrich our understanding of the priesthood by inviting married men to take up the Lord’s call. There’s also the additional issue of the many dozens (hundreds?) of priests who left ministry in this country to get married. Wouldn’t it be a gesture of immense generosity if bishops were to invite these men to return to their public ministry. I fail to see why their decision to marry should exclude them from service to God’s people.
Yours etc.,
Kate Allen,
Dungannon, Co. Tyrone.
So much for ‘bad behaviour’
Dear Editor, I cannot be alone in thinking that Eileen Gleeson – head of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive – is channelling a Dickensian notion of the ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor when she proposes the idea that many people are homeless as a result of “bad behaviour”. When one sees a man sleeping in a doorway in our cities and towns the first reaction should not be to wonder what he has done to find himself in this situation, it should be to wonder what sort of society we have that tolerates this immense injustice.
Yours etc.,
Ann Flanagan,
Dungannon, Co. Tyrone.
Keep the food coming
Dear Editor, Eileen Gleeson from Dublin City Council criticises volunteers who give food and hot drinks to the homeless in our capital. Mother Teresa of Calcutta – now St Teresa – was also criticised in her charitable work with her detractors claiming she did nothing to challenge the unjust structures that collude to keep poor people poor. Mother Teresa had a simple response: “when I see a woman who is hungry, I don’t have time to ask why she’s hungry – I simply feed her”. I for one hope that volunteers will continue to provide food and drinks for the homeless. “In an much as you did it to the least of these, you did it to me.”
Yours etc.,
Donal Gleeson,
Sagart, Co. Dublin.