Sir, - In the light of recent events, highlighted by Fr. O'Hanlon's outburst against our country's President, I am moved to articulate the feeling of great frustration encountered by many women in their attempted dealings with the Catholic Church. Obviously one cannot speak for all women, but a healthy number with whom I have talked share my feelings of impatience at our inability to have a meaningful input into the Church: it is clearly painful for that vast organisation, avowedly helping all Christians, be they black or white, male or female, to a better higher life, to be questioned regarding the fairness of their policies. Tradition is clearly to be clung to, guaranteeing as it does that clerical heads may spend a further nigh on 2,000 years in the male hierarchal sand.
Immense praise must go to Fr. Austin Hennessy and Bishops Walsh and Kirby most recently for their spirited response to Fr. O'Hanlon's utterances. Indeed this latter gentleman can only have done good with his one eyed invective if he has finally stimulated many, including this writer, out of the resigned torpor into which she and others have been forced for generations by his like. I have encountered several liberal pragmatic priests over the years gentlemen who have no apparent problems in dealing with women as colleagues on an equal professional footing. Hopefully they and their like will promote a new and long awaited vibrant Irish Church, sharing equal involvement with their fellow humans, namely women.
Might I add that our democratically elected President has shown her statesman like qualities by maintaining a dignified silence in the whole matter. - Yours, etc.,
Hettyfield,
Douglas,
Cork.