Sir, - What a self-righteous, smug, and insulting letter was that penned by Sean Fox (January 3rd) about President McAleese's reception of the Eucharist in Christ Church Cathedral.
What was vulgar or self-serving about her action is beyond me. As representative of all Irish nationalist people, she courageously took the first step across the bridge which both Churches are reluctant to cross. Many consider her action to be very brave. She demonstrated her human respect for a different tradition to her own and her understanding by reaching out to them in humility and love. Jesus would have applauded her as being of strong faith, as He did the centurion.
As a lay Church member, she let it be known that we Irish people want no division along religious lines in our land. All Churches and mosques have validity in the eyes of God. Dogmatic canon law is not the word of Jesus, but of vested interests to maintain control of believers.
Education has broadened the minds of the laity, and they have discovered that the Church can err, as in the shameful case of Galileo. So get a grip, and let free and informed conscience be our guide. Jesus did so many times in His lifetime, and discarded the rigid Judaic religious and social code. God is not the monopoly of any one religion, so let us cut the cant cloaked in pious verbiage. - Yours, etc.,
From Mrs Patricia Ryan
Rosemount Avenue, Artane, Dublin 5.