Madam, - Mgr Denis Faul was a man who fearlessly opposed terrorist violence.
Following his death Mr Gerry Adams has said "Irish Republicans" had serious difficulties with him. As one who attended a public meeting addressed by Fr Faul in Co Louth following the appalling murder of the farmer Tom Oliver by the IRA, I am not surprised Mr Adams found Denis Faul a troublesome priest. I don't think I have heard a man speak with such authority as Denis Faul that day; he was a man fuelled by the power of righteous anger.
I am sure "republicans" were shaken in their safe houses and holiday homes as they watched the TV coverage of Fr Faul's address that night. If only there had been more priests and politicians with the courage of Denis Faul there might be more people alive on these islands today. - Yours, etc,
TONY MORIARTY, Shanid Road, Kenilworth Park, Dublin 6W.
Madam, - Mgr Denis Faul was the classic old-style Irish Catholic priest: very educated and erudite, doctrinally orthodox and socially conservative. He was tailor-made to become a leading bishop. Why, then, did that never happen? There is only one possible answer: because he took on Her Majesty's government, and rightly accused it of injustice against Catholics in Northern Ireland.
He therefore violated the great taboo. He could have criticised any other government in the world and still have gott the mitre (think of how Bishop Casey could criticise United States policy in South America, while never opening his mouth about British injustice in the North).
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, when both the London and Dublin governments (with the compliant help of much of the Irish and British media) were doing all they could to demonise the Irish National Caucus, Fr Faul fearlessly stood up for us, publicly identifying with us by twice coming to the United States on an Irish National Caucus speaking tour and lobbying effort of the US Congress. - Yours, etc,
Fr SEÁN McMANUS, President, Irish National Caucus, Washington DC, USA.