Sir, - Like Father MeDonagh (January 10th) I too read the editorial, "Things of Caesar", but unlike him I agreed with every word of it. I find it very strange that when something Christ said crops up in the bible which doesn't suit the particular attitude to catholicism of some people it becomes a witticism. What balderdash.
When Christ said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's", he meant just exactly that and he certainly wasn't being funny about such a very serious subject. After all, in those days Caesar claimed to himself the right to take life on the cross, a fate Christ himself suffered. Hardly a humourous subject. The Catholic hierarchy's policy of "if what is told in the bible doesn't suit, change it" has always had the ring of dubiousness about it for me, and indeed many others, I'm sure. Of course, this would explain the centuries-old Vatican policy of advising, nay, directing Catholics not to study the bible. For me, this is tantamount to telling constitutional lawyers not to study the constitution. Bunkum!
One of the most positive, clear and unambiguous instructions given us by Christ was at the last supper when he said, and he wasn't being witty - "Take this bread and eat it, take this cup and drink from it". Who decided he was wrong, and bread alone would suffice? Could any human being, layman or cleric, ever have such a right? If Christ was wrong in that most fundamental instruction, then when was he right? I believe firmly he was right and that it is the practice of the Catholic Church that is wrong. Fortunately all over the world, except in "stuck in the mud" Ireland the Catholic Church is returning very rapidly to taking bread and wine at the eucharist; some bishops have never had it any other way. And they are right.
Of course, Christ rather surprisingly preached in favour of divorce in certain eases. He made no bones about it when he said to the Jews, and I quote,
"For your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you; whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and married another commits adultery."
So, in eases of unchastity Christ favoured divorce. I would invite arguments to the contrary, if there are any. The suggestion that Christ was something of a stand-up comedian is news to me. I am convinced, however, that he most certainly did have a sense of humour, and that he was the most honest and forthright of men during his stay on this unworthy planet. - Yours, etc.,
Four Oaks, Friars Hill, Wicklow.