Dear Editor, As I understand it, there are six days in the Church’s calendar, as well as Sundays, which are designated Holy days of Obligation in the Irish Church. These are: December 8, Feast of The Immaculate Conception; Christmas Day; St Patrick’s Day; August 15, Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary; November 1,…

Dear Editor, As I understand the purpose and objective of Reform Alliance, it is definitely not to establish another political party, since I believe we have sufficient already, in fact too many! Personally I think the objective of Reform Alliance is what it says, namely to reform the existing and outdated draconian political system that has…

Dear Editor, I very much welcome the emergence of the Reform Alliance and hope it will grow into a new political party. At present there is no political party in which Catholics can participate, a party where their insights and giftedness are fully appreciated. This has created an enormous democratic deficit in the Irish political scene.…

Dear Editor, I was interested to read David Quinn’s piece ‘Why the Church cannot be all inclusive’ (IC 2/1/14). I’d like to take up two points in relation to his thoughts: 1.That “horrible and impossible to contemplate turn of events” that he fears, has already taken place. The fact is that God Himself is ‘pro-choice’…

Dear Editor, I do hope that Fr Gabriel Daly’s attack on Cardinal Levada (IC Letters 12/12/13) will not go unanswered.  It is not likely that Cardinal Levada will be reading the letters in your paper.  But someone should point out that Fr Gabriel avoided any specific details as to why the cardinal did act as he…

Dear Editor, How interesting to read in The Irish Catholic on January 2, that the ‘Pope Francis effect’ is credited with a surge in numbers at Christmas Masses over and above figures in previous years, and then to read, on the turn of the page, Editor Michael Kelly’s argument for ‘Finding space for the people…

Dear Editor, How relieved I was when, just ahead of Christmas I read in The Irish Catholic the defence – against the worst intentions of a secular Sunday newspaper – of the work of the Capuchin Day Centre and the entirely unpaid role played by Br Kevin Crowley over many years in providing for the…

I was saddened to learn that the Capuchin Day Centre had been singled out for criticism by a Sunday newspaper in an apparent attempt to build on the disturbing financial news coming from the Central Remedial Clinic. The mistake made by the paper in question – if it was a mistake – was to assume…

Dear Editor, Margaret Nolan wonders (IC 12/12/13) what real criteria psychiatric teams in the Mater Hospital will use in deciding on the life and death of a child in the womb? Now that the ‘Protection’ of Life during Pregnancy Act has gone into law without effective guidelines, the answer appears all too clear: None. Yours…

Dear Editor, The current Vatican survey on the attitude of the People of God to how the Church’s teaching on controversial issues around human sexuality is welcome. There are precious few opportunities within the Church for laypeople, priests and religious to offer their input. I suspect at a higher level, bishops and religious superiors also…