HUGH BYRNE,
Sir, - Being in a mixed marriage, Church of Ireland/Roman Catholic, I turned to the Rite and Reason article by Michael Dungan in your edition of August 6th with interest. Apart from the complex situation at Gaelscoil Thulach na nÓg, I have concerns about some other issues raised in the article.
Mr Dungan desires his children to be "aware of the tenets of Roman Catholicism and Church of Ireland". He then bemoans the difficulties of teaching "conflicting doctrinal truths". What are "tenets" if not doctrines? this then becomes an even greater problem later in the piece when it becomes apparent that these are in fact "opposing truths".
There is also an interchangeable use of the words interdenominational and ecumenical as though they meant exactly the same thing.
Living an ecumenical marriage is not an easy calling; raising children within that family can complicate this further. But suggesting that I and my wife believe in opposing truths is being neither interdenominational nor ecumenical.
Being aware of our church traditions, communicating these correctly to each other, and accepting each other in love and compassion, and supporting each other makes us as much one as the Genesis ideal.
Expressing and bearing witness to the broken body of Christ is hard, but can be a blessing too. - Yours, etc.,
HUGH BYRNE, Rathclaren, Bray, Co Wicklow.