Sir, - One realises that things are a little difficult at The Irish Times at the moment but, really, what oversight or lack of copy permitted Patsy McGarry that amateur, hysterical rant about ecumenism on a page entitled "Home News" (January 28th)?
May I give Mr McGarry some advice? Ecumenism in Ireland is a dead duck because:
(a) the vast majority of Irish lay Catholics are profoundly ignorant of what the Church they claim to belong to actually stands for and favour ecumenism largely for political, even social reasons which have little to do with Christian faith;
(b) some Irish Catholic priests and Protestant ministers have habitually abused and discredited the language of ecumenism in order to promote a "liberal" agenda, thus making genuine ecumenical progress even more problematic;
(c) most Catholic priests in Irish parishes are simply too busy with the demands of day-to-day ministry (or golf) to be bothered with interdenominational courtship;
(d) for orthodox Catholics, ecumenism can only ultimately mean substantial conversion to Catholicism, since, whatever about minor procedural tinkering, the dogmas of the Councils are absolutely non-negotiable;
(e) Anglicanism is currently in ideological meltdown and thus incapable of sincere, constructive or truly representative doctrinal dialogue with a Church it seems at once to envy and despise;
(f) fundamentalist Protestantism and so-called eastern Orthodoxy (not to mention this venerable organ) have yet successfully to overcome their inveterate anti-Rome bigotry;
(g) there are statistically just too many (nominal) Catholics on this island. - Yours, etc.
Rev DAVID O'HANLON, CC,
Parochial House,
Kentstown,
Co Meath.