Sir, – Rev Dr Vincent Twomey (May 11th) writes "symphysiotomy is not, and never has been, a procedure promoted by the Catholic Church".
This view is in contrast with those of a number of speakers at the Sixth International Congress of Catholic Doctors, which was held in Dublin in July 1954.
This was a conference that was endorsed not only by Archbishop John Charles McQuaid but by Cardinal John D’Alton and the papal nuncio.
There were two prominent advocates of symphysiotomy as an alternative to Caesarian section at the conference. Sr Margaret Mary Nolan of the Medical Missionaries of Mary drawing on her experience in Africa stated, inter alia, "The incision used need not be more than two centimetres, it is done under local anaesthetic and the woman does not consider it an operation".
Dr A P Barry, master of the National Maternity Hospital, stated that he had carried out over a hundred symphysiotomy procedures in the previous five years, and said he could assure his listeners “that all the bogies and pitfalls mentioned in the textbooks are sheer flights of the imagination on the part of inexperienced writers”. His concluding words were, “if you must cut something, cut the symphysis”.
While it may be argued that the speakers at the conference were not echoing Catholic teaching, this would seem to be most unlikely considering the atmosphere that existed in Ireland in the 1950s, the prominence of the speakers in the Catholic Church and the absence of any rebuttal of the statements made in the printed record of the conference. – Yours, etc,
LOUIS O’FLAHERTY,
Santry,
Dublin 9.
Sir, – While it is undoubtedly the case that Irish Catholics are taxpayers, Vincent Twomey’s needless reassertion of that fact reflects a misunderstanding of the nature of the state and the public services it provides.
Others apart from Irish Catholics also contribute to public funds, and might wish to have those funds spent in a manner that does not promote or favour any particular religious denomination.
Finding this “common denominator” that reaches a median between the ideal preference of every individual denomination is particularly necessary in relation to the funding of public services, because contribution thereto is compulsory. To compel an individual to be a member of the state can only be acceptable when that individual is not also compelled to be a paying subscriber to a religious order, or to services tailored to a specific religious audience. – Yours, etc,
CHRISTOPHER
McMAHON,
Castleknock,
Dublin 15.
Sir, – Prof D Vincent Twomey wrote a well-researched, scientific and rational letter about religious influence in the health services.
However, he fell at the last fence when he said in his final sentence that “Catholics pay taxes too”.
The inference in this statement is clear – Catholics are entitled to control or influence the State’s health services because they help to fund them.
When I attend a hospital as a patient, the only ethos or affiliation I want is that my human and civil rights are respected fully and that I receive top-quality medical care. No religion has a monopoly on this. – Yours, etc,
SEAN O’SULLIVAN,
Crossabeg,
Co Wexford.