Dear Editor, I was very moved by the description of Sr Clare Crockett by the curate from her Derry parish (IC 21/04/2016), following her tragic death in the earthquake in Equador. She sounded like a very inspirational woman who had an interesting faith story and her parish is rightly proud of her example and witness…
Dear Editor, You asked on the front page of The Irish Catholic (21/04/2016): Is it time to consider a female diaconate? In her two-page argument for women deacons in Ireland, Phyllis Zagano stresses that the diaconate is “totally separate from priesthood”. Yet Cathal Barry, in his continuing series on the Catechism of the Catholic Church,…
Dear Editor, Thank goodness the census is now over and hopefully I will no longer have to be exposed to the nonsense about whether or not to tick the box for religion on the form. Is that really the most important thing the media can find to discuss at a time of unprecedented homelessness in…
Dear Editor, The failure of the Catholic Church to note the very pragmatic steps taken by other religions to help congregations is odd. Why, when providing resources that can help the celebration of Mass, does our Church fail so often and so miserably – certainly in Ireland – to venture out of old habits and…
Dear Editor, Nuala O’Loan referred to the plight of Palestinians in the Holy Land (IC 21/04/2016) pointing out Israel’s policy of ignoring international condemnation of its activities, which include land grabbing and depriving them of the most basic human rights of water and electricity and the blockade of Gaza continues. While international condemnation is forthcoming,…
Dear Editor, I just want to thank you for the lovely issue of The Irish Catholic on Vocations Sunday (IC 14/04/2016). I really enjoyed reading about the different congregations of religious. God bless and keep up your good work. Yours etc., Maureen Breen, Kilrush, Co. Clare.
Dear Editor, I write to express my concern and disappointment in relation to question 11 of the census 2016 form which classifies people according to their colour i.e. ‘white’ and ‘black/coloured’ or ‘geal’ or ‘gorm’. There is only one human race and any attempt to imply that there are two or more races is false…
Dear Editor, Though less informed on the Pope’s latest document Amoris Laetitia, I think David Quinn is correct in referring to the Pope’s challenge for Church leaders to implement a “positive and prudent sex education” programme to be imparted to children and adolescents (IC 14/04/2016). Only days ago, I heard a ‘run of the mill’…
Dear Editor, The 10 Commandments are a list of religious and moral rules that were given to us by God through Moses. If you look up the term ‘commandment’ in the dictionary you will find “a rule or instruction to be observed as strictly as one of the 10 Commandments”. The commandments that God gave…
Dear Editor, At a time when the role of third level chaplains is being questioned (IC 14/04/2016 ‘Mass attendance a crude measure of chaplaincy support services’) perhaps it is time to look again at clergy deployment priorities. The question I would ask is, why are some parishes being deprived of their full-time priest and yet…