Madam, - In her rush to judgment, Fiona O'Malley TD (August 23rd) takes the biscuit. Presumably, her only evidence against the Magdalen nuns is Mary Raftery's article. This is unlikely to be the whole story.
Facts should be sought dispassionately, presuming innocence until guilt is proven, not seeking to inflame with scant evidence. In this case, Fiona O'Malley assumes the role of judge, jury and executioner on the nuns and also disapproves of the Catholic Church per se. She grudgingly concedes some of its past "positive contributions" - presumably the networks of schools and hospitals serving the Irish people, long before State involvement.
Until recently, the Catholic Church ran a vast social welfare network with pitiful State aid. "The grip the Catholic Church held", to use Ms O'Malley's words, was earned by private funds, voluntary labour and religious dedication.
Not only the Church suffers from a bad press. All politicians' reputations are sullied by the acts of a few. Indeed, some apparently impeccable political reputations are not beyond reproach since the 1970s/90s political traumas and financial corruption recently uncovered.
At the end of the day, when the full truth is known, history will probably deal far more kindly with the Catholic Church than with some politicians and media pundits, now perched precariously on the high moral ground. - Yours, etc.,
E. O RAGHALLAIGH,
Mapas Road,
Dalkey,
Co Dublin.