Sir, - How refreshing to read Fr O'Hanlon's letter. It came like a blast of fresh air after the cringingly embarrassing adulation of previous letters.
Father O'Hanlon expressed righteous indignation, and why not! He was outraged by the President's blatant disregard for protocol. Mrs Robinson was not in Rome to indulge in political correctness, nor to make a feminist statement. She was there to represent the Irish people.
Conor Hickey (April 12th) tells us that Mrs Robinson chose to dress and behave as a modern woman". Sorry, Mr Hickey, but the President chooses to do what we, the people, choose. She is merely a figurehead. We did not send her to Rome to debate whether she, you or anyone else disagrees with the Church - we sent her to visit the Pope.
Visitors usually honour their host in a traditional way good manners demand it. Like Fr O'HanIon, I find the President's behaviour, on this occasion, provocative and offensive to all Catholics who revere the Pope as their spiritual leader. Yours, etc.,
Sandford Road,
Ranelagh,
Dublin 6.