Priest defies explanation

If the Catholic congregations in Stamullen, Co Meath, are on the wane, their enthusiasm will not be encouraged by the rather drastic measures proposed by one priest.

Children of lapsed Catholics or Catholics who are too lethargic in their religious duties for the liking of Fr Michael Daly, could find themselves seeking educational facilities in another parish, according to a diktat he issued at the weekend.

In so doing, he displayed a remarkable abandon towards the constitutional rights of those children in his zeal to blackmail their parents back to Mass and to be “contributing” families.