Madam, – Easter is neither an appropriate nor sensible time for the board of St Patrick’s Cathedral to try to silence Dean Robert MacCarthy who, bravely and rightly following in the footsteps of his famously outspoken 18th-century predecessor Dean Jonathan Swift, is calling for Christian unity and freedom wherever this does not exist or is forbidden (“Presdent’s view of Turkey and EU”, March 30th).
Surely the cathedral’s board members should not be opposed to this, but should be supporting the dean in these aims? They should be grateful that the current dean does not think his duties are fulfilled merely by shaking hands at funerals and launching books, like so many other public figures in Ireland, but stands up for the underprivileged and repressed, and strives for Christian tolerance and friendship to all, whatever the particular denomination or creed.
If it is correct (Home News, April 2nd) that the responsibility of the board is the cathedral’s finances, it should be doubly grateful that his financial and management skills have also helped the cathedral become the most visited historic building in Dublin and, as a result, the board has had sufficient funds to restore this most important House of God for the foreseeable future.
As we all know only too well, Ireland is now suffering cruelly from the effects of too many boards of both religious and financial institutions keeping their activities and their secrets to themselves, with disastrous results. We need more Dr MacCarthys, people who are prepared to stand up for the rights of the ordinary person, and reveal hypocrisy, cant and sheer wrongdoing in public places and officialdom, whistle-blowing and ruffling feathers in the process if necessary. If we had, we might well not be in the situation we now are.
Finally,did Alan G Graham (April 1st) receive the board’s approval prior to writing his letter? And where is his and the board’s Christian spirit this Easter-time? If the board members are upset by the dean, then they must have feathers to ruffle – are they (Easter) chickens? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Deans of St Patrick’s, like other members of the clergy, are fully entitled to write letters to the newspapers in their personal capacity.
However, this is no way commits the 27 other members of the Chapter (the canons), among whom he is only “first among equals” to the views expressed unless they are consulted in advance and agree that the letters concerned represent their collective view.
Whatever the merits or demerits of the case for Turkish entry into the EU and attendant issues, the fact is that the members of the Chapter were not consulted by Dean Robert MacCarthy (March 30th) and have not expressed an opinion. And one would not wish members of the Muslem community to be under the impression that they or the faith they represent are held in anything but the highest regard by the clergy (or congregation) of St Patrick’s. – Yours, etc,