Sir, – I find it difficult to agree with most of the opinion piece by Fr Kevin O'Reilly on the proposed management arrangements for the new National Maternity Hospital ("Sisters of Charity must reject any NMH deal that will destroy innocent life", Opinion & Analysis, June 13th).
Fr O’Reilly makes several references to reason and common sense, and writes that “the Catholic Church is the greatest defender of truth and reason”.
Surely the opposite is the case. Reason is the power of the mind to form judgments logically, and all religions demand acceptance of beliefs that are based on faith rather than on logical judgment.
However, I am in agreement with his final and key point, which is that Catholic nuns should not facilitate or cooperate in any arrangement that would allow abortion to take place where they are in a position to prevent it.
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The willingness of the nuns to hand over a site for a hospital that will provide an abortion service seems to be an extraordinary betrayal of their Catholic beliefs.
It is a betrayal that confuses me, a non-Catholic, and I suspect that it confuses all Catholics and non-Catholics equally. – Yours, etc,
GARRY BURY,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.