Day of Atonement not a good idea

One must compliment Mr Christopher Heaphy on his courage and Fr O’Neill and Bishop Lee for allowing Mr Heaphy to speak at Mass (Irish Examiner, May 21).

Asking for a Day of Atonement may not be such a good idea.

The Jewish people had a scapegoat sent into the desert with their sins laid on him on Yom Kippur, their annual day of atonement. Jesus’s death on Calvary was an event of atonement, literally a day of at-one-ment, and the Mass is a daily renewal of that.

One presumes the perpetrators of abuse and those who at the time did not act, have since asked for forgiveness. It was tragic to see the main Government ministers and former IRA activist Martin McGuinesss demand that Cardinal Seán Brady be sent into the desert for failing to do 43 years ago what no one was doing.

The Government is still without a law while the cardinal is a prime mover in getting the Church leaders to act on the law they made and the Pope has encouraged.

He, of course, was described as arrogant and of serving the institution last July in the Dáil.

Meantime, An Taoiseach’s own Government suggested violating the natural law and butting into the Catholic Church’s internal business by suggesting clergy “confess” the confessions they hear.

“Stupid Boys and Girls” as Mr Manning of Dad’s Army might say.

A P Ó Beachain Leifear

Co Dun na nGall