Sir, - In his letter (August 15th) Mr Dara Hogan refers to the "beginning of the end of the influence of the Catholic Church on Irish life, and failure to end this negative and narrow-minded influence would set Ireland back decades". Could Mr Hogan please clarify the basis on which he makes these pronouncements with great certitude? For example, in what ways is the Catholic Church a negative influence on Irish life? On what pre-suppositions, philosophical and otherwise does Mr Hogan regard Catholicism as being narrow-minded? Are we really witnessing the beginning of the end of the influence of the Catholic Church on Irish life? I would be extremely grateful if Mr Hogan could provide a contextualised justification of this claim, with reference to the history of Irish Catholicism.
In response to these sweeping generalisations so confidently alluded to by Mr Hogan, can I ask: Has the Catholic Church's involvement in education, where so many men and women gave up their lives to educate generations of Irish people been such a negative influence? Has the Catholic Church's involvement in peace and justice issues to protect the fundamental dignity of the human person in a world which increasingly disregards human rights and makes the human person subservient to economic systems been such a negative influence? Are these the negative and narrowminded influences which Mr Hogan would like to see removed from Irish society? For all our sakes, I sincerely hope not. - Yours, etc.,
Conor O'Reilly,
Portarlington, Co Laois.