Sir, - In his letter (April 8th) disgruntled with the events surrounding the recent visit of President Robinson to the Vatican. In particular he takes your earlier correspondent David Grant to task. I believe that the tone of Mr Grant's cliched comments were snide and sneery by any standards. Fr O'Hanlon is very preoccupied with the type of dress worn by the President in the Papal presence. However, when he claims that Mrs Robinson and her party deliberately set out to slur the Pope and the Church, he is descending to a level of lunacy which leaves one baffled. Anyone who has ever known Mary Robinson will know that Fr O'Hanlon's claims are absurd. Fr O'Hanlon accuses Mr Grant of being sycophantic - that may well be so, but I fail to find words that would adequately describe the absolute rubbish which Fr O'Hanlon himself inflicted on us in his own letter.
I sincerely hope that the fact that Fr O'Hanlon writes from Rome does not mislead your readers into thinking that he speaks for anybody other than himself. Fortunately, we may safely assume that the illusions which blind him do not exist in reality outside his own mind.
Is it any wonder so many people find us priests off the wall when it comes to facing objective reality? Mrs Robinson has served as President with immense dignity and distinction. No, Fr O'Hanlon, your silly attack on the President would be described by Mr Paddy Donegan as "a thundering disgrace". In fact even more colourful words would be warranted. - Yours, etc.,
Augustinian Priory,
Shop Street,
Drogheda.