YOU reported (August 24) the suggestion by Fr Iggy O’Donovan OSA that the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Ireland should be marked by a day of atonement and that “it would be inappropriate for the day to be one of celebration because of all that was happening in institutions at the time of the papal visit”.

WHILE not disagreeing with Gregóir de Buitléir (‘Battering the brothers’, Letters May 29), I must honestly state there was severe and excessive physical punishment in the two religious-run schools that I attended.

I WISH to comment on the booklet from the Irish Council on Bioethics on stem cells and Dr Stephen Sullivan’s analysis (April 25).