Madam, - Garry O'Sullivan (March 7th) does not lament the shortage of Catholic priests but points to an opportunity for the Irish church "to become a vital community of believers". He speaks of thousands of people trained in philosophy and theology.
Where are these thousands? Here in Inishowen, in the diocese of Derry, which I think is the second largest diocese in Ireland, I see no evidence of philosophers or theologians providing a forum for discussion. In fact, without articles and letters in The Irish Times, I wouldn't be aware of any serious discussion about the Roman Catholic tradition.
In my parish in Malin, I belong to an enthusiastic group that forms our liturgy and helps to keep at bay the "drive through" church described by Mr O'Sullivan. But our diocese - as far as I am aware - provides no liturgical or catechetical resources to the parishes of this peninsula. So has Derry diocese trained any of these thousands of philosophers and theologians for parish involvement? As someone fascinated by the Christian tradition and convinced that it is an answer to the mystery of life, I regret the inability of my local church to provide resources for the better understanding of our faith.
I congratulate and thank you, Madam, for the coverage you give to religious matters. At a time when our Catholic press give their attention to the amount of lace on a papal alb and the textures of the papal cap, philosophical and theological debates such as the recent Twomey-Fagan correspondence remind me of what it means to be Christian. - Yours, etc,
TOM FINNIGAN, Lagg Road, Malin, Co Donegal.