Dear Editor, Dr Martin Mansergh’s opinion piece (IC 09/07/2015) was a relatively balanced analysis of issues connected with the recent royal visit to Mullaghmore. Dr Mansergh also provided some useful and insightful commentary around the calibre of person that Lord Mountbatton was. Our organisation abhors terrorism and violence whether carried out by republican or loyalist…

Dear Editor, I wish to remind the faithful that we are coming to the second anniversary of the Consecration of Ireland to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Church in Ireland has had its struggles in recent times but we can take heart from the fact that the Irish bishops consecrated Ireland to the Immaculate…

Dear Editor, I wish to congratulate Bishop Kevin Doran and Bishop Phoncie Cullinan on their recent statements on political church gate collections. I spent 50 years of my life in Australia and such collections would not be tolerated. The political parties were very fast to close the Vatican embassy and have no shame in holding…

Dear Editor, I was surprised to read in The Irish Catholic of 16/07/15 that church gate collections are still taking place in certain parts of the country. The blame for the fact that they are taking place must be shared between the political parties and churchgoers. They would not take place if churchgoers confronted the…

Dear Editor, I’ve read with interest David Quinn’s article on concerns expressed about the national seminary needing to be aired (IC 09/07/2015). On reflection, I welcome what appears to be a relatively balanced article. However, I was not entirely satisfied. I myself am a former seminarian and I’ve seen articles from another source that were…

Dear Editor, How sad to see one whole page of your usually balanced paper (and interesting book reviews), given over to taking back what little we had conceded in terms of confession and repentance for some of the negatives of our Church history – in the Crusades, Inquisition and Holocaust (IC 09/07/2015 ‘Pernicious lies exposed…

Dear Editor, It was good to read Msgr Hugh Connolly’s insightful article (IC 16/07/2015) about the formation method in Maynooth in the light of David Quinn’s critique of some elements of that process. I suspect that part of the difficulty arises from the fact that many Catholics are unfamiliar with the nature of priestly training.…

Dear Editor, I have recently returned from Lough Derg where a diocesan pilgrimage of 39 people led the Bishop of Kildare & Leighlin, Dr Denis Nulty was taking place. Bishop Denis was accompanied by several diocesan priests and the example they gave was one of humility, with no airs or graces doing exactly the same bare-footed exercises…

Dear Editor, Liam Duffy (Letters IC 02/07/2015) refers to the Irish section of Amnesty International and its ‘volte-face’ on abortion. I wonder if he is aware that when Amnesty International first came out in favour of abortion, the Irish section hypocritically claimed that it did not support this position. However, it wasn’t long until, not…

Dear Editor, During the summer each year there are church gate collections throughout the country for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael. There was a time when both of these parties had much in common with Church teaching, but that day is long since gone. I am not aware of any other country where political parties…