Dear Editor, Fr Eugene Duffy and the staff of Mary Immaculate College are to be congratulated on organising a seminar entitled ‘Reimagining Sacramental Preparation’. Up to the present, our evangelising was based on a very simple strategy. The parents had the Faith and practiced it as a family and as part of the parish community. They gave religious instruction to their children at home, but relied mostly on the Sunday sermon and the R.E. class in school.
The Sunday Eucharist and the R.E. class obviously helped the children’s faith to grow, but their faith journey itself started and developed in the home. In other words, the evangelisation of the young is not really about what takes place during the school’s religious programme, but in the ‘Stages of Faith’ (cf. J.W. Fowler, HarperOne, 1995) that the young person, and all of us have to go through.
The title of the seminar relates to the involvement of the school in two of the Sacraments of Initiation – First Holy Communion and Confirmation. The school’s R.E. class is hardly the issue for parents or clergy. The real challenge for the local Christian Church lies in the fact that the Sacraments of Initiation are the rituals whereby the young people are integrated into their religious community. This initiation process and its celebration should obviously be parish-owned. The present situation of course suits most of the clergy and the parents. Imagine all the work involved if the parish had to organise the big day! Imagine what would happen if each parish had to put into practice a simplified version of the RCIA. Imagine the P.P. during the scrutiny, asking a young person due to be confirmed, why he hadn’t seen him/her at Mass since Christmas Eve!
Yours etc.,
Pat Seaver,
Limerick City.
Catholics must challenge bias
Dear Editor, Baroness Nuala O’Loan calls for “more accuracy and balance from the media” (IC 04/05/2017) and in the same edition the Archbishop of Dublin Diamuid Martin made the same point too. I believe it is never too late for all informed practicing Catholics to take action in challenging bias from what appears to me to be a small number of vociferous personalities. Many have influence and have focused on specific failings of Catholic organisations to whip up an almost witch hunt against any openly Catholic person contributing to public debate. In the words of Martin Niemöller the German Lutheran pastor: “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out.”
Yours etc.,
Frank Browne,
Templeogue, Dublin 16.
Referendum will put decision into our hands
Dear Editor, Will we really decide to repeal or retain the Eight Amendment or will we as a nation acquiesce to the demands that the philosophy of modernity places upon us? Either way we will have to accept, some day at least, responsibility for the ramifications of the outcome, which one can now only dread.
Let us leave aside individual religious arguments on this most important of issues and look at the two basic options open to a secular state and the premise of such options. On the one hand is the belief that the foetus, as well as being part of the woman’s body, is in itself a separate and distinctive life. On the other hand is the belief that the foetus is part of the woman’s body and does not have its own separate life, or, if its accepted that it does, it is on the premise that this life is an inferior life and a life without rights.
If one believes the latter, and if the state concurs, then abortion becomes a civic right. Euthanasia becomes likewise, and one would expect capital punishment to return to the statute books, as the state would have assumed, for itself, jurisdiction over life and the taking of it, for whatever reason it, the state, may decide.
However, if one believes that the foetus is a separate, definitive and equal life, and if the state concurs, then the state must protect that life, irrespective of the circumstances.
Each of us must make up our own minds as to which premise we align ourselves to and take responsibility for our decision in that regard, as our collective decision dictates how the ‘state’ concurs.
We all must realise the significance of what we may do in the forthcoming referendum and accept responsibility for the ramifications of that action. We cannot blame ‘modernity’, as modernity has no vote, unless of course we disempower ourselves to allow that to be so.
Yours etc.,
John J. Lupton,
Roscrea, Co. Tipperary.
Sisters cannot go against their ethos
Dear Editor, It is my belief that if the Sisters of Charity sell or give land for a new maternity hospital, knowing that abortions, IVF and sterilisations will be performed therein, it will be an example of close, formal co-operation in what is sinful. These practices are all contrary to the natural law. If they go ahead the result will be, first, obviously, that innocent lives will be taken, then also that scandal will be given and finally that the credibility of the Sisters of Charity will be greatly undermined.
Those promoting this new, totally secularist hospital for the benefit of the ‘taxpayers’ should remember that in Ireland 78% of taxpayers are still Catholic and that in any case, whatever the religions of the patients or medics, all are bound by the natural law.
Yours etc.,
Fr Richard O’Connor,
Rome, Italy.
Citizens’ Assembly a Pontius Pilate ploy
Dear Editor, It seems the Government is going to take the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly as a blueprint for the referendum on the removal of the Eighth Amendment. The format of this assembly suggests that a small group of people (under 100) gathering in a Dublin hotel room being ‘informed’ by a panel of ‘experts’ is the ultimate democratic process. To call it a democratic process is ludicrous! I would venture to say that it is more of an exercise in indoctrination than a presentation of unbiased information, as when it comes to views on abortion everyone is biased.
But is this not a clever Pontius Pilate ploy by the Government to absolve itself of any calamitous consequences if the repeal of the Eighth Amendment is passed or not passed in a referendum? It is cynical to use public monies bordering on being unconstitutional given the McKenna judgement. It is symptomatic of the spineless Irish Governments we have had of late. Ironically the Eighth Amendment was put in place by an agreement of the main political parties, FG, FF and Labour with few dissenters from all parties in 1983 and passed by 66.9% in the referendum. If the Government and opposition need a sample of public opinion it is time they went out and knocked on the doors of their constituents.
Yours etc.,
Nuala Nolan,
Galway City.
Sisters, you should stand your ground on deal
Dear Editor, The Sisters of Charity who own the St Vincent’s Healthcare Trust, must not compromise on their Catholic ethos in the proposed new building of the national maternity hospital on their land.
Some journalists and medics have suggested that the sisters sell or lease out the land, or worse still that a compulsory possession order be made to solve the dilemma.
Now if the sisters sell/lease the land they would be compromising on their Catholic ethos, i.e. knowing that some medical procedures which are contrary to their ethos would be taking place on their former land.
Some years ago I left midwifery in Britain as procedures were taking place on the maternity unit contrary to Catholic doctrine.
Despite the past failings of some sisters, they are still the best custodians of their land for the common good, even when taxpayer funding is needed.
How many state-funded organisations are squeaky clean? Those who are now bashing the sisters may not be in powerful positions today only for the education and healthcare provided by the sisters in the past.
Well done, to Bishop Doran again for defending the Catholic ethos – we need to hear from his brother bishops and priests.
Yours etc.,
Ann Campbell,
Scotstown,
Co. Monaghan.