Sir, - I have no vested interest in, nor expertise on, the subject of clerical celibacy, but I have been following with interest the correspondence in your columns.
I was particularly struck by the letter (June 28th) from the "three ageing, West of Ireland parish priests". The contribution of Fathers Hoban, Conlon and O'Horo was wise, humane and tolerant. It was a breath of fresh air which did not deserve the prattish response it got from Fr David O'Hanlon. Fr O'Hanlon managed - and not for the first time - to be supercilious, personally offensive, arrogant and in places downright silly.
Like Margaret McGrath (July 1st), I feel we could all do with a summer break from Fathers O'Hanlon and Manning. - Yours, etc., Maurice Manning,
Haddington Place, Dublin 4.