A chara, – Gerald Murphy (December 12th) thinks that I am proposing "just Bible reading" when Mass is not available in the parish. He is completely mistaken. In my article for Rite & Reason ("Fundamentalist Catholics are turning people off church in Ireland", November 29th), I suggested that in light of the growing scarcity of priests, we might consider adopting a method which was tried and proved fruitful in Latin America, which was a combination of Lectio Divina and social action for justice and care of creation.
John P McCarthy (December 2nd) asserts: "One cannot help but suspect Fr McVeigh has been influenced less by what he saw in Latin America than by an unadmitted identification on his part with the religious approach of some of his non-Catholic neighbours even if he has not been particularly appreciative of their political position."
I am puzzled as to how Mr McCarthy “cannot help but suspect” from what I wrote how this is the case. I see a lot of good in the Protestant faith of my neighbours and I share it as often as I can. I do not agree with the basic tenets of unionism, which not all hold, but I respect their right to be unionist.
However, my ideas about the future of the church and all churches are formed by my experience of small basic Christian communities in El Salvador and about what I hear and read from missionaries in Latin America. I propose this as a way of dealing with the growing scarcity of priests and also as a way of rejuvenating the church in Ireland.
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Paddy Barry (December 2nd) refers to me as "the reverend gentleman" and states that it may be assumed that I am aware that the seven sacraments were instituted by Christ. That is not factually correct. The seven sacraments developed with the Christian community over many centuries.
It is when I read the views of such correspondents that I am more convinced of the need for a new approach to the celebration of the Christian faith. That is why I believe we need catechists who understand the radical call of the Gospel. – Yours, etc,
Fr JOE McVEIGH,
Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.