As Cuba joins the world of mourners, should we hang our heads in shame?
Will the politicians who have basked in the glow of good publicity call off their trip to Rome (with advisers in tow, no doubt), while the people of Ireland are deprived of a chance to mourn as a nation for the sake of the greed of industry?
Mount Carmel
Newbridge
THE Taoiseach has once again shown how he continues to bow down to power brokers and big business.
In the context of the response to the Pope’s death by non-Christian countries, Bertie Ahern has embarrassed us once again.
13 Parknamore Rise
Ballincollig
Co Cork
WHILE most liberals afford our dear Pope the dignity of their silence as he lies in state, TP O’Mahony adds another chapter to his previous volumes of anti-Catholic rhetoric (Irish Examiner, April 4). Yet again he condemns John Paul II for urging Catholics to be loyal to what TP considers “the damaging teachings of Humanae Vitae”.
This was the most prophetic document ever published by the Vatican. It condemned artificial contraception because it shut God out of marriage. It predicted that the acceptance of artificial birth control would lead to immorality, sexual promiscuity, abortion, marital infidelity and, among other things, disrespect for the dignity of women.
Pope John Paul The Great has not alone torn down the walls of communism and totalitarianism, but also those of radical feminism. He has exposed the radical feminist formula for ‘freedom’ as a sham. He has restored true dignity to women, and especially to mothers.
His call at the UN conference on women that “mothers who choose to work full time in the home not be penalised, or be made to feel like failures”, was profound. He said their contribution to their families and society was “immeasurable”.
Already his advice is being heeded by families in America and Britain where many more women are choosing motherhood as a career.
In his opposition to artificial contraception, abortion and enforced labour the Pope teaches us that true freedom comes not from any of these... “it begins when the dignity of each human person is respected fully”.
Look around, TP. Thirty-seven years after Humanae Vitae was published, see the immorality, the sexually transmitted diseases, the millions of babies killed through abortion.
Read the reports linking artificial contraception to heart disease and cancer. Study the link between abortion and breast cancer. These are the rotten fruits of the ‘culture of death’.
Realise that far from being ahead of the Church in your thinking, you are very far behind.
‘Deodatus’
Timoleague
MOST people seem to feel we should have a day of mourning for the Pope tomorrow.
As a compromise I suggest there should be a pause in most activities for 2-3 hours to coincide with the funeral.
This would enable employers and employees to gather for prayers in local churches or watch the TV coverage from St Peter’s.
The lost hours of work could be made up by starting earlier tomorrow morning or continuing later in the evening.
John Paul II is renowned for his unceasing calls for justice and practical help for the people of poorer nations.
Those of us who are enjoying the benefits of living in a relatively prosperous country might consider donating the money we earn tomorrow (be it wages, salaries, profits or pensions) to an Irish overseas charity of our choice.
I cannot think of any better way to honour the memory of this great Pope.
Oaklands Drive
Dublin 6
FOLLOWING the death of Pope John Paul II, it was to be expected that loyalist graffiti artists and ‘kick the Pope’ bands would display their sectarian talents to add insult to the sorrow of the Catholic community.
We were not disappointed. However, even by the standards of sectarianism in the North, surely a line was crossed when the Rev Stephen Dickinson, a grand chaplain of the Orange Order, for the merriment of an audience who included Jeffrey Donaldson, gave an impression of the Pope suffering from Parkinson’s disease shortly before his death (Irish Examiner, April 5).
This polluter of religion and humankind should be cut adrift from civilised society and treated with the odium he deserves, but unfortunately such will not be the case.
Following Dr Ian Paisley’s vitriolic attack on the Pope in the European parliament in 1988, the DUP leader has had a meteoric rise to become the undisputed leader of unionism.
No doubt there are thousands of decent members of the Presbyterian church looking on in horror as the fundamentalists set about poisoning yet another generation.
The actions of the Rev Dickinson must be unequivocally condemned by his church and the Orange Order for the offence caused. If the Presbyterian church values its Christian ethos, it must insist on its ministers severing all connections with the ‘loyal orders’ and face down those who regard the actions of Rev Dickinson as religious justification for attacks on their nationalist neighbours.
23 Delaford Lawn
Knocklyon
Dublin 16
I WISH to express my dismay at the stance adopted by the Government in relation to the calls for a national day of mourning for the Pope.
The position expounded by the Taoiseach is that in allowing schools and public servants flexibility tomorrow, the event is being marked sufficiently and in keeping with the arrangements made for the funeral of Pope John XXIII in 1963.
This is an unacceptable state of affairs on several grounds, not limited to the following:
1. By allowing schools flexibility it places working parents in an impossible position regarding child-minding.
2. It discriminates once again between the public and private sectors.
3. Pope John XXIII, though highly influential and revered in general terms, was Pope for a mere five years during which time he had no tangible impact on this country, in direct contrast on both counts to Pope John Paul II.
4. Ireland observed a national day of mourning on September 14, 2001 to mark 9/11, a politically motivated declaration which, quite frankly, took most citizens by surprise. However, in this instance, there is a palpable wish among the populace for a national day of mourning.
5. In the past one might claim that to recognise the event so forcibly would be to reinforce sectarian stereotypes and cause offence to people of other faiths on this island, but thankfully we have matured as a people and there is a patent sense of ecumenical loss so eloquently expressed by Archbishop Robin Eames and Archbishop Rowen Williams.
6. It is incongruous that communist Cuba would declare a national day of mourning while it is business as usual Ireland.
7. The claims that the country should not be brought to a halt in order to give employees another day in bed are untenable. Other than signing the books of condolence there was no focal point to the national day of mourning in 2001, and this may have been a legitimate objection then, but in this instance there will be a televised requiem and masses in churches nationwide. While we can no longer be described as Catholic Ireland, this is not an issue of religion. This will probably be the only instance in any of our lives that a headline such as ‘A Planet Mourns’ would not be an exaggeration. Thus it behoves our political leaders to mark the event properly with a national day of mourning.
Kilcolman
Dromahane
Mallow
