Sir, – I’m sure Miriam Lord is well paid to provide colour in her sketches of Oireachtas exchanges. Why then does she find it “chilling” and “disgusting” when Senator Jim Walsh sketches some real facts of abortion with just a modicum of colour (Seanad Sketch, July 17th) – even if Minister of State Kathleen Lynch expects the ceiling to collapse and Ivana Bacik escapes before it comes down?
Euphemism is no foundation on which to build utopia. – Yours, etc,
EDDIE FINNEGAN,
Wightman Road,
London.
Sir, – The contributions of Senators to the Seanad debate on the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill were, on the whole, measured and appropriate.
However, the spectacle of a man lingering on the graphic details of an intimate gynaecological examination and procedure was profoundly unedifying and revealed much about Senator Jim Walsh’s attitude to women.
His intervention reflected badly on the Oireachtas and made no rational contribution to either side of the issue. – Yours, etc,
MARY BUCKLEY,
Springfield Park,
Foxrock,
Dublin 18.
Sir, – The positive tone and content of Pope Francis’s message for next October’s Day of Life (World News, July 17th) is so very different from the negative and condemnatory attitudes of so many Catholic Church people over the course of the abortion debate here in Ireland. The Pope speaks about the inestimable value of all human life and quotes St Iraneus, an early Christian father, that the glory of God is seen in the human person who is fully alive. He emphasises in very inclusive language that all human life is to be valued “from the weak, and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor”.
This is a very welcome contribution to the debate and represents a full Catholic position on the inestimable value of all human life. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN BUTLER ,
The Moorings,
Malahide, Co Dublin.
Sir, – Regarding the letter (July 8th) by James M Carr, MPSI, St Vincent’s Private Hospital wishes it to be known that Mr Carr was writing in a private capacity only and not on behalf of the hospital. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL REDMOND,
Chief Executive Officer,
St Vincent’s Private
Hospital,
Merrion Road,
Dublin 4.