Sir, – As one who had the privilege of a happy and comprehensive Jesuit education, I pay particular attention to the thoughtful analyses of members of the Society of Jesus. I found much insight in the recent series of articles by Fr Edmond Grace SJ (Opinion, June 20th, 21st 22nd). All except the final article (June 22nd), in which Fr Grace attempts to paint the collapse of Catholic hegemony as, somehow, a democratic crisis.
In his analysis, Catholic hegemony over society in our Irish State seems to be an unfortunate accident, rather than a sought object of that church. That other churches and perspectives (even civic morality itself) find their capacities diminished, unable to fill the void is also, in part at least, to be laid to the responsibility of the Catholic Church.
In Fr Grace’s world, the Continental Reformation, with its legacy of a church without hierarchy, does not seem to have happened. Our secular democracy has many roots. Among the fathers and mothers of our democracy – whatever their faults – were those who sought reform of the church in centuries past.
There much to commend Fr Grace’s analysis, but it is in the end unfortunately a partial and Catholic view, and poorer for that. – Yours, etc,