Madam, - What surprised me most about Archbishop Seán Brady's article defending the most recent pronouncement of the Roman Catholic Church is his reference to Scripture.
For it is the very failure by the Roman Catholic church to use Scripture to support some of its doctrines that causes many of us in the Reformed tradition so much concern.
Where in the Bible is Mary, the mother of Jesus, pronounced queen of heaven?
Where is it written that she has intercessory power on a par with Jesus?
What scriptural reference can be given to assert that Mary herself was born sinless?
The fact is that the Roman Catholic Church has promoted the cult of Mary with no Scriptural basis and in doing so has seriously undermined the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and what he achieved in His crucifixion and resurrection.
As Ireland is rapidly losing its faith the Catholic church would do well to go back to the heart of Christianity and teach its congregation about the hope and the salvation to be found in Christ alone. - Yours, etc.,
HEIDI GOOD,
Comer Road,
Kilkenny.
Madam, - Henry Williams, rather simplistically, dismisses the truths of Our Lady's immaculate conception and perpetual virginity as "accepted only in medieval times" and today rejected "by most churches in this country apart from Roman Catholicism" (August 19th).
Pursuing Mr Williams's own logic, and leaving aside both his misquotation of Scripture and his implied attempt to reduce Catholicism in Ireland to some sort of fringe, one might conclude that, since Protestant churches were not themselves invented until the 16th century at the earliest, perhaps their attitude toward previously universally received Christian doctrine is less relevant than Mr Williams - or the mysterious "G.F." - imagines. - Yours, etc.,
Rev DAVID O'HANLON, C.C.,
Kentstown,
Co Meath.