Dear Editor, I watched Barack Obama during his visit to Hiroshima to remember the victims of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on that city 71 years ago. He was accompanied by the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe in the presence of a very small number of survivors of that evil massacre of the…
Dear Editor, Mr Ken Curtin of Cobh appears to blame local church authorities for his removal as church reader at St Colman’s Cathedral. Mr Curtin has nobody to blame but himself if he does not meet the qualification for this role. Paragraph 101 of the General Instruction on the Roman Missal, echoing the sentiments of…
Dear Editor, The Eighth Amendment is Ireland’s life equality provision which protects the lives of mothers and babies in pregnancy. The Catholic Nurses Guild of Ireland resolved unanimously at its Annual General Meeting in May to support the retention of the Eighth Amendment. The Ethical Guidelines of the Catholic Nurses Guild of Ireland (8) states:…
Dear Editor, What an excellent article in the May 26 issue by Kieron Wood about the difficulties in finding times for Mass in Dublin parishes. I couldn’t agree more and since I moved to Co. Tyrone I experience similar problems in parishes up here. Parishes are happy to put details in their bulletins only and…
Dear Editor, I found myself in church, quite accidentally, on a Saturday afternoon at a baptism ceremony. It was conducted by an elderly priest, for whom I had great sympathy. Why? The atmosphere in the church was anything but quiet and respectful. There was widespread talking and giggling, children running around through the seats, even…
Dear Editor, With the news that over 700 more refugees have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, and the Irish Government is still doing nothing meaningful to confront the horrors that are taking place before our very eyes, the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, together with the superiors of the religious orders, must follow Pope Francis…
Dear Editor, Mags Gargan’s article on wills (IC 19/05/2016) was timely and valuable. However, she missed what is possibly one of the most important points in relation to making a will. Any previous will is revoked by marriage, unless it is specifically made in contemplation of that marriage. So readers who are engaged (or those…
Dear Editor, I note that Social Democrat Ken Curtin is dismayed at the fact that his removal as a reader in Cobh Cathedral is being used as grounds to attack the Church (IC 26/05/2016). I wonder how the media was made aware of this situation and, also, why Mr Curtin was surprised at the action…
Dear Editor, What a strange lapse of judgement to give the front page of your edition of May 26 to such a distasteful report (‘Inappropriate’ behaviour claim robustly dealt with – Maynooth). An anonymous letter to the bishops’ conference alleging a gay culture in our national seminary hardly merits a mention let alone a tabloid-style front…
The Church teaches that a bride and groom should prepare themselves for their marriage by receiving the Sacrament of Penance, writes Cathal Barry
Cathal Barry