Sir, - Steven King (December 3rd) accuses me of "self-servingly" referring to sectarianism in the North as a purely Protestant phenomenon.
There are certainly deep divisions in our community on both sides. For Catholics/nationalists, however, the areas of antagonism are, for the most part, political. There is animosity towards the British state and "Britishness".
Among Protestants/unionists, there is a very clear hatred, not just for "Irishness", but also for the Catholic faith. I have encountered very little, if any, anti-Protestantism among Catholic people. Catholics are normally open and welcoming towards the Protestant churches - clergy and laity.
Sad to say, the case is not the same among sections of the Protestant community. I encounter regularly the most vile and lurid anti-Catholic tracts, videos and audio-cassettes. This obnoxious material has no counterpart among Catholics and is not reciprocated in their attitudes to the Protestant faith.
I realise that it is a very bitter pill for some people to swallow, but the reality is that sectarian, "religious" hatred is much more potent within Protestantism. This situation has been openly acknowledged by some Protestant clergy. - Yours, etc.,
Father Patrick McCafferty, Sacred Heart, Belfast 14.
