Baptisms and marital status of parents

Church of Ireland general synod

Letters to the Editor. Illustration: Paul Scott
The Irish Times - Letters to the Editor.

Sir, – On May 20th you reported that a motion proposed by Prof Patricia Barker and Lynn Wright to the Church of Ireland general synod that infants be baptised “irrespective of the marital status of the parents” was defeated. Thus it seems that a clergyman retains the right to decline baptism. What did the child of an unmarried mother do to deserve such possible discrimination? Is this compatible with Christianity? – Yours, etc,

IAN GRAHAM,

Kilmacanogue,

Co Wicklow.