Madam, – Who decides (and on what basis) whether a Defence Forces escort should be provided at a church parade for the remains of any particular individual, deemed “saint” or otherwise?
I refer to your photograph of March 2nd showing a party of soldiers bearing the reliquary of St Thérèse of Lisieux on formal parade. I consider this unconstitutional and an embarrassingly sectarian confusion of Church and State.
In my view, the Defence Forces should provide a church escort only where the deceased has been a distinguished Irish public servant or recognised statesman or stateswoman. – Yours, etc,