Madam, – Cyril Daly (August 30th) refers to free Ireland and yet denounces free speech and freedom to protest by non-attendance at a religious service on September 26th. Personally, I don’t think any change will take place whether I attend Sunday Mass on September 26th or not.
I suggest that unfortunately women are only significant as potential to provide sons for the church and that women who are inclined to protest by not attending Mass are unlikely to have sons who are future potential candidates for the priesthood and so it seems the entire proposition is based on unrealistic expectations of Roman interest in the activities of Irish women.
On the other hand, if people were to engage in some type of peaceful “sit down” to support Marie Collins then we might succeed in helping someone who could well be at the end of her tether regarding the credibility, integrity and compassion of an exclusive and frigid church leadership.
It might not provoke some compassionate response from those in church leadership positions, but at least genuine Christians and others of compassion will be able to show their support for victims by honking their horn!
Perhaps some of the more compassionate of the clergy might be moved to concelebrate mass in the Phoenix Park as a pastoral response.
This might well generate goodwill and a sense of unity and support that is sadly missing in a church divided and in mourning. – Yours, etc,