Dear Editor, Thank you for publishing Fr Brendan Purcell’s reply to Stephen Fry. (IC 05/02/15) I am a practising Catholic. But I often struggle with the questions that Mr Fry so passionately articulated. And many other practising Catholics do too. The questions deserve attempts at answers whether or not they come from atheists, and this…

Dear Editor, Well done on your coverage of the recent installation of Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly as Archbishop of Cashel and Emily. As usual the photographs were excellent except for one major eyesore, i.e. the photo of Micheál Martin cosying up to the archbishop. This is a man who voted for introducing abortion into Ireland and…

Dear Editor, Part of our preparation for the reception of the Sacraments of Initiation included learning the names of the sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Blessed Eucharist, Penance, Extreme Unction (Sacrament of the Sick), Holy Orders and Matrimony (Mater/Matris/Mother). Why not return to this beautiful title and thereby throw some light on the forthcoming debate on same-sex…

Dear Editor, Last year I read Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel about Thomas Cromwell’s life and times. I enjoyed both books very much, as Ms Mantel is a very talented writer. I was, to say the least, rather puzzled by her depiction of Thomas More’s character, who was known as…

Dear Editor, We will be asked soon to change the Irish Constitution in favour of same-sex marriage. Unfortunately the possible outcome of the deliberately distorted propaganda by the Government around the word ‘equality’ will produce a ‘yes’ vote. How sad to see a Government desperate to be re-elected exploiting the emotions of society in this…

Dear Editor, I watched with interest the interview by Gay Byrne with Stephen Fry on the RTÉ series The Meaning of Life. Whatever we think, what he shared in the interview makes it difficult for us to ignore the points he raised. Fry reserves his harshest comments about God in relation to suffering. Why should…

Dear Editor, Kindly permit me a few lines in relation to a short article in last week’s edition entitled ‘Surprise at decision not to ‘regularise’ Kilfenora status’ (IC 05/02/2015). The article was based on a tweet of mine in response to the announcement from the Vatican that the dioceses of Cashel and Emly were to…

Dear Editor, Fr Oliver Skelly says (IC Letters 29/01/2015): “It has been brought to my attention that in certain priest-less parishes in Germany and Switzerland, when a priest has turned up to celebrate Mass, he has been told ‘No, thank you Father, we have our Communion service’.” Did he ask his informant whether the priest…

Dear Editor, David Quinn writes apropos of Wolf Hall and St Thomas More that “a historian and a novelist can use history much like putty” (IC 29/01/2015). He is wrong to conflate these two very different categories of author. Novelists are entitled to some licence in fashioning the events depicted in their work.  They are…

Dear Editor, In Mary Kenny’s article ‘Greece dispensed with traditional blessing’ (IC 29/01/2015), she says “it may be noted that some of the most prosperous and stable regimes in Europe still begin their parliamentary day with prayers”. I have to say I do admire Greece’s new government and, yes, it is a pity that they…