Madam, - Patsy McGarry (Opinion & Analysis, March 28th) writes: "It is to be hoped the Catholic Church will conduct funerals for those who have lost faith with the same warmth and generosity shown in Aughawillan on April 1st, 2006".
It is unfortunate that Mr McGarry, in his piece about John McGahern's funeral, should use the death of an obviously good man to try to bully the Church into conforming to the needs of secular Ireland. The following comments are intended in no way to reflect on John McGahern or the goodness of his life. Rather my focus is on some media commentators, and some in political life, who speak about Ireland today as secular, pluralist and mature, which often translates as not influenced by or adhering to the Catholic Faith.
Is it not reasonable that in a mature, secular state a citizen who lives without the Church should die without it? Is it not unreasonable for a citizen who gives no support, no time and no energy to a religion and in some cases actively undermines it throughout their life, to expect that religion to conduct that person's funeral using some of its most sacred rites?
Surely if as a State we are mature we should respect Catholicism for what it is, a religion, and not expect from the Church, as if it were an arm of the State, a funeral or any other service, no more than we would expect the Muslim or Jewish Community to look after us on the basis of a phone call from an undertaker.
The Catholic Church will continue, I'm sure, to serve the people of Ireland to the best of its ability in the future, but with rapidly diminishing numbers (there is a death notice for a priest almost every day) and fewer resources, the days of regarding what the church has to offer as your right as a citizen because you are Irish are long gone.
It is time to grow up. It is time for the journey inward. And if you dissociate yourself from the Church in life, be consistent in death and leave the Catholic Church to pursue its mission in serenity and peace. - Yours, etc,
Fr. GREGORY O'BRIEN, P.P, New Cabra Road, Dublin 7.