Church will not bend to your will, Mrs McAleese
WITH reference to the letter written by former president Mary McAleese to Pope Francis – to question why she and others of the liberal elite are not being allowed to lecture on aspects of their à la carte Catholic views at a conference in Vatican City: Mrs McAleese’s attitude makes me wonder why this ‘anti-traditionalist’ doesn’t simply cut her ties with the Church altogether.
She seems to think she has some God-given right to be allowed change the traditions of the Catholic Church.
Doesn’t she realise that the Church is a theocracy, not a democracy? You can either obey its rules or you can choose to abandon the Church.
Tom Baldwin, Midleton, Co. Cork.
Arguing abortion
THE No side in the campaign to repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution seem inordinately fond of quoting God. Apparently the man above has told them that independent life begins at conception and all terminations of pregnancy are, without exception, immoral.
God has also at various times outlawed Sunday working, beard trimming, polyester clothing, jazz, celibacy, tattoos, earrings, Irish dancing, statues, smart phones, earrings, Elvis Presley, cross-dressing and eating pork, cheeseburgers, shellfish and black pudding, among many other things. None of these harmless things are banned or even frowned upon in modern Ireland.
The God of the Bible laid down a set of rules, and people are free to follow them if they wish. But the law of the land should not be determined by these capricious, absurd prohibitions.
John O’Sullivan, Carrigaline, Co. Cork. …THE idea seems to be that, because we have so many thousand going to England to abort their babies, we should now recognise this and change the law here. Well, we also have a lot of shoot-to-kills happening in Dublin, but that doesn’t mean changing the law to accommodate them.
No matter what way we look at it, is killing a baby normal or abnormal? So why make it easy to do so? These hard cases don’t make good laws.
June Ryan, Dundrum, Dublin 16.
Moore Street battle
RELATIVES of 1916 volunteers killed in action in Moore Street’s laneways of history commend city councillors for their refusal to be bullied by the threat of legal action on the proposed listing of buildings in this last extant 1916 Battlefield.
This threat is from a company that not so long assured us that the development of this area would not be decided in court!
It continues to refuse to allow survey access to 1916 buildings and is yet to engage with the minister’s consultative group.
It is the only interested party that has yet to express an opinion on the development of what our national museum describes as ‘the most important historic area in modern Irish history’.
This is unacceptable. Minister Josepha Madigan has power to act on this. She can issue preservation orders on all historic structures threatened by the developer’s wrecking ball. If Hammerson continues with its bullying, the minister must act.
Proinsias O’Rathaille, Brendan Mulvihill, Peter Coyle, The 1916 Relatives Moore Street Initiative, Pearse Street, Dublin 2
Brexit farce
During the Brexit referendum, Theresa May campaigned to remain in the EU.
May is the leader of the Tories, who want to leave the EU. They want this because they wish to see changes in Britain… but when they leave the EU they want everything to remain as it was before. And these are the people who tell Irish jokes! John K. Kenny, Dublin 5.
Cleaning up
THERE can never be an acceptable level of poor food hygiene in food businesses.
Therefore, the importance of closure orders issued against food outlets by officers of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland when food safety has been compromised cannot be overstated. A recent report issued by the FSAI on hygiene in some outlets was truly appalling.
Most, if not all, closure orders issued by the FSAI are rescinded when these culpable outlets comply with legislation. But some breaches are so serious that closure orders issued should be permanent.
Dr Pamela Byrne, chief executive of the FSAI, said: ‘It is not acceptable that consumers’ or food workers’ health is compromised by inadequate food safety practices.’
Indeed it is not, and nor is it acceptable that proprietors convicted of serious breaches of hygiene be allowed to reopen their premises or open elsewhere under a different name.
Tom Cooper, Dublin 6w.