Courtney McGrailDear Editor, After running for 53 years on the national broadcaster the final knell of the bells has sounded for the traditional-style Angelus on RTÉ television. Angelus is a beautiful title of Greek and Latin origin meaning a name, angel or messenger. It was so appropriate to the Annunciation on TV with the icon of the Virgin Mary and the Angel Gabriel announcing to her that she is to bear a child.
Those few seconds of reflective imagery and sound from a 24 hours long day and signalling the Six One News, like good whiskey, had mellowed with age to the eyes and ears of Irish people everywhere.
Deemed too Catholic by RTÉ, years later the imagery was dropped and the slot watered down several times since to the latest materialistic depiction of the Angelus. It is best described in a quote from David Quinn: “A generic call to prayer – not Catholic, not Christian but religious in a vague kind of way.” Why all the changes to this wee slot? Simply because RTÉ, on a hint from some indifferent cranks, wanted to believe the Angelus was still too Catholic and “not reflecting people of all faiths or none”.
Was there a representative poll done by RTÉ before arriving at these ‘thought frames’? Tens of thousands of Irish went to countries all over the world – did they demand any change in customs or icons of a country or were they ever so privileged? Certainly not! Nevertheless, the current Government and its semi-states see fit, at the whim of every Tom, Dick and Harry to dismantle and default, institutionally and constitutionally, everything that is sacred and revered by the people of this island.
Yours etc.,
James Gleeson,
Thurles, Co. Tipperary