Dear Editor,I write this email with great frustration, sadness, and disappointment, yet I feel compelled to express my feelings publicly in the hope that those in positions of authority, the media, politicians, bishops, and doctors, will act.
I am living in Dundrum, County Dublin, a suburb of the capital. In recent days our community has become aware of three suicides, three tragedies where beautiful and beloved family members, daughters, mothers, sons and fathers, were driven beyond their limits. In the language of lockdown, these people were denied what they believed to be essential. After months of the same and no end in sight, they despaired.
In Dundrum in recent weeks, we have more suicides than Covid-19 deaths, and this in just one small suburb.
The media is silent on suicide figures, the state is silent on suicide figures, but why are the bishops silent on suicides occurring all across Ireland. Are their priests, who console their flock during times of loss, failing to fulfil their obligations to inform their bishops on the quantity of suicides? Are the bishops not aware of what is happening in their dioceses?
Who are we to hold accountable for the silence? Who has the authority to declare what is essential for a human being?
Yours etc.,
PJ O’Duibhir
Dundrum, Co. Dublin
Abortion propaganda seen in supermarket
Dear Editor, In a well-known Dublin supermarket yesterday, a young woman was checking out her purchases. She was wearing a tracksuit top, and written on the back were the words: ‘Join the global struggle – safe abortion, using pills’ with a website address.
Perhaps other readers have seen similar propaganda?
Yours etc.,
Judith Leonard
Raheny, Co. Dublin
Trump brought pro-life agenda and curbed religious suppression
Dear Editor, As a weekly reader of The Irish Catholic I am disappointed with the recent article by Aubrey Malone [IC 19/11/2020] on Donald Trump where he gives a scathing account of Trump’s presidency.
I will deal, briefly, from my perspective with what Trump achieved in his first four years as president. He has been a bastion of support to the Pro-life Movement cutting funds to Planned Parenthood. He was the first US president in history to attend the march for life.
The WHO and Communist China are indisputably close. WHO receives $50 million from China annually, a pittance from a population of 1.44 billion, while the US contributes $450 million with a population of only 331 million. WHO ignored the fact that China banned travel within China but allowed external travel during Covid.
Trump was the first to ban travel to China. If all countries followed suit Covid-19 deaths would be lower worldwide.
Malone criticises Trump’s rallies. What about BLM terrorising people and vandalising property? Federal police had to be deployed to protect St John’s Church from BLM who showed blatant disregard for Covid restrictions with months of rioting without masks.
Trump’s further achievements: Built much of Mexican wall to stop illegal immigration, brokered more peace agreements than any other US President, Israel/Sudan and Israel/Bahrain for example, built the greatest economy in US history resulting in highest employment and lowest unemployment, prevented American jobs going to China, created nine million jobs in three years, added three conservative Christian judges to Supreme Court. He is the only US President to forfeit his salary!
Labelling Trump a liar, bully etc.. is exactly how the radical liberal far left media describe him. To deliver a strong pro-life agenda and curb religious suppression we need the integrity of Donald Trump.
Yours etc.,
Tony Burke
Loughrea, Co. Galway
Article on Trump article ‘left a lot to be desired’
Dear Sir, Aubrey Malone’s article on Donald Trump certainly left a lot to be desired. While he grudgingly accepted that ‘it was gratifying to see the Christian bills he put through congress’ he went on to state ‘people have to practice what they preach’. That would be the ideal – have we many examples of this today? He went on to say that ‘a pro-life stance has to have more to it than being anti-abortion’. President Trump has ensured that black people and low income earners have seen a huge increase in their wages and an increase in employment, he has worked for religious freedom by having the Little Sisters of the Poor no longer having to fund contraceptives and abortion pills for their employees (which Joe Biden has promised to change if he becomes president), spoken out against the huge increase in the persecution of Christians worldwide (which had been ignored by Ireland) and is perfectly correct regarding NATO, the World Health Organisation.
I do not agree with him on everything, especially on the death penalty, but at present the main battle as far as I am concerned is the worldwide imposition of abortion, which Mother Teresa so correctly identified as the greatest destroyer of peace in the world.
Regarding President Trump’s handling of the virus, no country comes out too well in that regard and not ours with all the damage it has done through lockdowns. Very many people are dying because of the virus and not necessarily from it. So many are left undiagnosed.
How interesting that Mr Malone asked how the president had changed from pro-choice to pro-life. How many of our politicians have been asked how they changed from pro-life to pro-abortion? Personally I do not mind what the president’s motive for change was, I’m just grateful that he did change his stance. He is not in the running for sainthood but for doing what he could to improve the lives of so many despite being thwarted at every turn by the Democrats, who, incidentally never accepted the result of his election and spent the last four years trying to oust him.
Yours etc.,
Mary Stewart
Ardeskin, Co. Donegal
Archbishop Martin provides great service to diocese
Dear Editor, It was a bit of a reality shock to read in The Irish Catholic that Archbishop Diarmuid Martin expects his successor to be announced before this Christmas. He took on the office of Archbishop of Dublin in the most dreadful times for the Irish Church. His major achievements included dealing with the clerical abuse of children, setting up a strong child protection programme and major participation in ecumenical matters. It has been said that Dublin was blessed with its two Archbishops, Michael Jackson and Diarmuid Martin.
I was thus surprised to read David Quinn’s critical comments on the lack of attention or statements by Archbishop Martin on such important matters as abortion, same sex marriage and assisted suicide. Mr Quinn seems to have forgotten that the bishops of Ireland had issued statements and advice on these and other important issues. Archbishop Diarmuid was a major figure in the preparation of these statements, issued by the hierarchy, being the Primate of Ireland.
History will, I trust, give a balanced account of the great service that Archbishop Diarmuid gave to the Church and in particular to the Diocese of Dublin.
Yours etc.,
Daithi O’Muirneachain,
Drumcondra, Dublin.