Sir, – Your Editorial (June 9th) concluded: “There is a deep well of respect and affection for Catholic tradition even among those who do not wish to obey an all-male celibate elite and who make up their own minds about spiritual and moral questions. If the church pushes such people away, it will make itself a sad and bitter thing and, in the process, impoverish Irish culture as a whole.” I submit that a Catholic Church that challenges, confronts and even enrages Irish culture will do that culture far more service than an affable, non-threatening, teddy-bear church.
As for sadness and bitterness, I believe that what draws many Mass-goers is the joy that they experience in the Lord’s Supper; a joy that is not very evident elsewhere in our consumerist, careerist, litigious, depressive culture. It is a culture that affords plenty of pleasure, fun and entertainment, but very little joy. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The discussion in this newspaper merely reflects what we see on the soccer pitch.
Certainly our players seem to have been inspired by Martin Luther’s famous statement: “Hier stehe ich, ich kann nicht anders”. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I find Nuala O’Loan’s article (Opinion, June 9th) to be thoughtful and provoking. Naturally there will be much discussion on the nature of Catholicism during these days of the Congress. I find it interesting however, that much discussion seems to surround the lack of clergy, which is of itself a problem, but not the whole story when it comes to faith education in Ireland.
In my experience, while there is a diminishing of clerical presence in parishes throughout the country, there is still much enthusiasm for a faith community among many congregations. There is reluctance among members of congregations to step forward into leadership in parishes because the concept of “that’s your job, Father” is still prevalent.
However, given a bit of nudging and openness, I have found many people are willing to step forward to fill the void of leadership on the ground. Church restructuring or renewal is not about more ordinations or clericalising the laity. Rather, the conversation we need to have is about how faith communities may be sustained so that we can really become the “people of God”. – Yours, etc,
A chara, – In seeking to defend the low percentage of Catholics who accept the concept of transubstantiation, Honduran cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga (Breaking News, June 7th) suggested that the solution lies in more education. Having been educated by the Christian Brothers in the 1960s/1970s, I suspect that the cardinal is confusing education with indoctrination or brain-washing. – Is mise,