Sir, - According to your edition of May 17th, Liz O'Donnell, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, said that "most practising Catholics paid little attention to large tracts of the Church's teaching on private morality". I would like her to know that all my family, friends and many acquaintances do not share her view.
Of course, we are "nobodies" in her eyes. Our function is to pay our taxes while she, and others elected to serve the people, see themselves as "somebodies", and superior to us. They are powerful and we are powerless.
As a member of a political party, she has to obey the party rules or else she will be expelled. Her private views are her own, but as a person in the public domain, she should not have taken it on herself to speak for "most" Catholics of the nation. If someone does not wish to obey the laws of the Catholic Church she/he should leave it and avoid becoming a hypocrite - surely the most despised type of person imaginable!
I would be glad if Ms O'Donnell would read an article in the Sunday Times (May 6th) entitled "Catholics flock back to the Church". I presume they are there because they accept the Church's teachings and try to live them. Of course, they are all the "nobodies", and Ms O'Donnell, as a "somebody" sees herself as having the monopoly of truth about practising Catholics.
The Catholic Church has survived over 2,000 years and doubtless will still be here when all the present leaders will have long since given an account of their stewardship to Him who founded the Church. He never needed the trappings of power so important to present-day leaders. His first followers may have been "nobodies" in the eyes of the world, but to Him each one was, and is, of inestimable value as He gave his life for each of us.
Many people, like myself, find politicians arrogant, self-serving bores. However, thankfully, they are "here today and gone tomorrow" and as long as they do not speak in my name as Liz O'Donnell took on herself to do, I can continue to ignore them. - Yours, etc.,
Helena Doherty, Carnmalin, Malin Head, Co Donegal.