Madam, - Why all the fuss, when at the first Mass ever the celebrant and the congregation of 12 were all Jewish? - Yours, etc,
JOSEPH KENNEDY, Lavarna Grove, Terenure, Dublin 6w.
Madam, - After the joy of reading about the wonderful Mass concelebrated by Rev Michael Graham and Frs Iggy O'Donovan, Richard Goode and Noel Hession, why, oh why did we have to be brought to the earth with a deadly thump by our Catholic and Church of Ireland Primates talking of "danger", "confusion", "misunderstanding", and "manipulation"?
Can these two gentlemen not now grow up and realise that their "concerns" are not shared by 95 per cent of Christians?
The way forward for ecumenism is exactly the way of Fr Iggy and Rev Michael.
I pray that their lead will be followed by every cleric in every town and village in Ireland. - Yours, etc,
DERMOT O'DRISCOLL, Tullow Road, Carlow.
Madam, - I was disappointed to see the label "historic" favourably attached to the Easter Sunday Mass at the Augustinian Church in Drogheda. Sadly, this act of what could best be described as liturgical opportunism does nothing to foster true ecumenical efforts or the unity longed for by most believers as both Archbishops Brady and Eames have pointed out. If a game of soccer was played at Croke Park without agreement between those most concerned, would it be considered anything other than provocative or counter-productive?
There are many ways currently available to promote inclusivity and mutual respect between the different Christian and religious traditions - pretending they don't exist is not one of them. Using the sacrifice of the Mass as a political football on Easter Sunday is at the very least deplorable.
Rather than looking to the Taoiseach for inspiration for liturgical events, Fr O'Donovan should perhaps consider a higher authority. - Yours, etc,
Fr PAUL CLAYTON-LEA, Chaplain, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Co Louth.
Madam, - The recent "concelebration" of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by Catholic priests with a non-Catholic minister in Drogheda should be a cause of concern for all thinking Catholics.
I respectfully suggest to those Catholics who see nothing wrong with this "ecumenical" Easter celebration to read their Catechism (yes, we still have one!), where it is stated, inter alia: "Ecclesial communities derived from the Reformation and separated from the Catholic Church 'have not preserved the proper reality of the Eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Holy Orders'.
"It is for this reason that Eucharistic intercommunion with these communities is not possible for the Catholic Church" (Paragraph 1400, Catechism of the Catholic Church, published 1994). - Yours, etc,
GARETH JAMES O'FLAHERTY, North Brunswick Street, Dublin 7.
Madam, - Augustine of Hippo has a smile on his face, that one of his disciples has the wisdom and grace to put Hierarchical Ireland in its much needed place. - Yours, etc,
EILEEN O'CONNOR, Walterstown, Navan, Co Meath.