Sir, Like Mr Donal Kennedy (August 1st), I remember very well that the late Very Rev. Charles Gray Stack correctly pointed out that the Angelus was founded verbatim on Scripture (Luke I). The addendum asking the Virgin Mary to pray for us seems to have come into common usage in the 16th century.
Certainly Protestants and Catholics may disagree on the efficaciousness of this addition but, like the late Charles Gray Stack, it seems to me an absurdity that something founded on Scripture should be made a bone of contention between Christians.
Perhaps some members of the Church of Ireland might ponder on the wording of our own General Confession, in accordance with the Book of Common Pray. After saying that we "be wail our manifold sins and wickedness", we go on to assert that "the remembrance of them is previous unto us. The burden of them is intolerable".
Does anyone seriously nowadays imagine that God will believe that? If not, common sense dictates that we leave it out because it does us no good. If we don't think that requesting the intercession of the Virgin Mary does any good, we can leave that out too. What is all the fuss about? We have quite enough bigoted nonsense going on at the moment, without trying to raise this hare once more geriatric Yours, etc., Leopardstown Road, Foxrock, Dublin 18.