Dear Editor, In relation to your editorial “Is the Church here finished” (IC 13/11/2014) you highlighted the inadequacies of both the liberal and conservative Church commentators’ response, but the importance of Pope Francis’s call to be a missionary Church rooted in prayer and faith in Christ and his message. I think most Catholics would welcome…

Dear Editor, Your readers will be aware that Bernadette Smyth, the courageous founder of the pro-life group Precious Life has been convicted in Belfast of harassment on foot of a complaint from Dawn Purvis of the Marie Stopes clinic. All who genuinely oppose abortion, north and south, now need to rally to support the courage…

Dear Editor, RTÉ has a blind spot where religious faith is concerned. This was evident in the very minimal report RTÉĖ gave to the powerful address by Pope Francis in the European Parliament. In contrast the BBC, ITV and Sky News gave extensive coverage and good analysis of the event. I am sure the media…

Dear Editor, Cathal Barry’s interesting article on Christ’s life (IC 06/11/2014) exemplifies some of the problems in the Church today. Similar to most of the sermons in today’s homilies, in his lengthy article Cathal does not once mention the word repentance. Did Christ die unconditionally for everyone? After reading Cathal’s article the thought crossed my…

Dear Editor, How horrifying it was to read in The Irish Catholic (13/11/2014) Archbishop Neary’s contention that the Catholic Church has lost the battle with secularism and that Ireland is witnessing the death rattle of Christendom. What has happened to “…this is my rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”? So…

Dear Editor, One would have to concur with Archbishop Neary that the Church has lost the battle with secularism (IC 13/11/2014). However, one would have to ask is it or was it the mission of the Church to do battle with secularism? I would suggest that the Church’s mission is to spread the Gospel and…

Dear Editor, How uplifting to read Philip Johnson’s story of his diagnosis of terminal brain cancer and his hope of ordination to the priesthood (IC 13/11/2014).  What a comparison with that of 29-year-old Brittany Maynard who ended her life because of a similar diagnosis. All life is fragile and worth living but, unfortunately, not always…

Dear Editor, The story on Archbishop Michael Neary in The Irish Catholic of November 13 makes for grim reading: “Church has ‘lost the battle’ with secularism”. Sadly, one would have to agree with his assessment. It’s such a pity that our Church leaders did not take heed of our Blessed Mother’s request to have the rosary…

Dear Editor, The death has occurred of Venerable Archdeacon Michael O’Brien, known to a generation of Cork GAA supporters as ‘the Canon’. The people of Cork are saying goodbye to a priest who has served us well; walked with us in our joys, our sorrows and in our everyday lives. He baptised us, prayed with…

Dear Editor, After reading Archbishop Michael Neary’s gloomy conclusion that the Church is losing the battle with secularism (IC 13/11/2014), it was heartening to read David Quinn’s reminder to us, in the same edition, of the successful  role of the Church in the events that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The whirlwind…