Dear Editor, In your front page story ‘Vatican urged to block nun’s hospital transfer’ (IC 21/11/19), you quoted Fr Gerry Kane as saying: “I think that the Church in Ireland has been doing the work of the State for far too long…it is time for us to have stand-alone Catholic institutions, like Catholic hospitals, Catholic schools and…

Dear Editor, I refer to criticism levelled at Bishop Phonsie Cullinan concerning yoga in Catholic schools. Catholic bishops as direct successors of the apostles have a duty of pastoral care by teaching and upholding the Catholicism which comes to us from the apostles themselves, commissioned by Jesus. Regrettably, the laity has largely been left without…

Dear Editor, Conor Donnelly (Facebook Community) referred to Catholics being told to vote for Republicans in the US. I wonder if he is aware that no Democratic candidate can be accepted unless he/she supports abortion, which means that those voting for a Democrat are endorsing abortion. I fail to see how any practising Catholic can now…

Dear Editor, I note that Mary Kenny (17/10/19) states that, as she mentioned previously, she believes the Vatican should revisit Humanae Vitae as “we know so much more about fertility control now than in 1968”. May I revisit this issue too and point out that previous to its publication and afterwards the Vatican had encouraged and promoted…

Dear Editor, In response to Mary Kenny’s article ‘Students of sociology – here’s a suggestion’ (17/10/19), may I introduce you to something way more empowering for women: not going back down the road of enslaving women to contraception. Instead let’s educate women with the knowledge about how their cycle works. Let’s also ask the men…

Dear Editor, At the canonisation of Cardinal John Henry Newman at the Vatican, Prince Charles praised many aspects of the new saints’ labours. These included his establishment of the Catholic University in Ireland – the predecessor of today’s University College Dublin. He said: “His example has left a lasting legacy. As an educator, his work…

Dear Editor, In attempting to shed light on Ireland’s vocation numbers (Letters, IC 3/10/2019), it seems that Canon Paul Ferrer has drawn attention to just how much fog and confusion bedevil this subject. The term ‘pre-seminary’ never appears in the Holy See’s 2016 Ratio Fundamentalis on priestly formation, he says, highlighting how the document identifies propaedeutic formation…

Dear Editor, I was pleased to read an article in your publication (IC 03/10/19) praising the efforts of climate activist Greta Thunberg. Despite her age, this young girl has rallied countries and political leaders around the world to be more environmentally conscious and shed light on how detrimental our current carbon consumption really is. At…

Dear Editor, On reading Fr Collin’s article (IC 26/09/19)) on the re-introduction of the prayer to St Michael after Masses in our churches, I was forcibly reminded of a recent report in your paper that the Head of the Jesuit Congregation has openly declared that Satan is not a real person but a metaphor for…

Dear Editor, I was heartened by the fact that Limerick’s Bishop Brendan Leahy drew a firm line between Christianity and racism last week (IC 19/09/19). Racial intolerance was more prevalent, normalised and accepted 50 years ago, but we now live in different times and should know much better. Ireland has become more globalised and through…