Sir, – I was moved and saddened by Helga Faiers's letter (January 20th). The church of the past has a lot to answer for. It was a time when relations between the churches were at an all-time low. Resulting from the legacy of the reformation, the churches had gone their antagonistic and separate ways.
Now, however, when inter-church relations are warmer the practices around mixed marriage are much more positive. First, the question of the baptism of any children to a mixed marriage is much more nuanced. The rights and preferences of each party must be taken into account in the context of the overall good of the marriage.
Second, it is not uncommon for the minister for the non-Catholic party to be the sole officiator in his/her church with the full blessing of the Catholic authorities.
We have come a long way since the bad old days, circa 1953. – Yours, etc,
Fr EDWARD DOWNES CC,
The Presbytery,
Valleymount, Co Wicklow.