Dear Editor, I was very disappointed in scanty coverage by RTÉ on Philippines disaster; again RTÉ seems out of touch with international news compared to BBC, ITV and SKY News which give extensive coverage. Irish people are indebted to the thousands of Filipino nurses and care workers in our hospitals and health clinics. Of course the…
Category: Letters
Defending the review of Philomena
Dear Editor, Fionn O’Grada took issue with my review of the film Philomena (IC 14/11/13) citing the review header ‘The Sins of the Mothers’ as apparent evidence of the fact that I ‘only’ saw sin in the fact that Philomena became pregnant outside marriage and not in the cruel way she and the other young…
Truth should not suffer for film drama
Dear Editor, The makers of the recent film Philomena have been careful to point out that it is a drama not a documentary, however, in general drama is far more effective in conveying emotion than documentaries and also is not burdened with the need to remain true to the facts. For example according to The…
There is a biblical tradition of relics
Dear Editor, Margaret Ahearne, (IC 7/11/13) is grossly in error when she states that the use and veneration of the relics of the saints is unbiblical and unchristian. Far from it. There are several biblical references, both in the Old and New Testaments, from which the Catholic Church derives this practice and Christians from antiquity…
Pope Francis is far from a ‘straw man’
Dear Editor, Reading from Michael Higgins’ Letter from America (IC, 14/11/13), it would seem that the religious far right conservatives across the Atlantic are not happy about Pope Francis. They seem to see the Pope as some kind of ‘straw man’ who is not quite the equal of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. In business…
Some Catholic colleges are not really Catholic
Dear Editor, As Open Days in a variety of third-level colleges approach, prospective students and their parents would do well to familiarise themselves with the real ethos of these colleges and the values that are being promoted in them and not rely on college propaganda. For instance, St Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, which was established as…
Relics of the saints are not trophies
Dear Editor, As usual this week (7/11/13) I read The Irish Catholic and got a lot out of it. However I was surprised to read the letter from Margaret Ahearne denouncing relics. Her ignorance is appalling! The Church has venerated relics even from the time of the catacombs to give us hope in the work…
Relics are precious gifts from God
Dear Editor, I wish to respond to Margaret Ahearne’s letter regarding relics (CI 7/11/13). I am afraid she is very much mistaken that the use of relics is not biblical. In fact, the concept that contact with the bones or other objects once belonging to saints can facilitate miracles goes right back through the Gospel (where…
Dealing with media is a priority
Dear Editor, David Kelly (Letters IC 7/11/13) questions the need for the Church, as the body of Christ, to learn how to deal with the media and argues (quite correctly) that a bishop’s first duty is to his flock. It is to be argued, however, that Mr Kelly poses a dilemma for the modern bishop…
Facing the challenge to forgive
Dear Editor, Aubrey Malone titles his review of the film Philomena ‘The Sins of the Mothers’ (IC 31/10/13). He clearly sees sin only in the young mothers like Philomena Lee who were locked in the Magdalen Homes and not in how they were treated. He sees the film as an attack on ‘the Church’ which…