Sir, - Your editorial of March 17th ("St Patrick and The Irish") is a cocktail of liberal Protestantism, pure secularism and a distorting revisionism. It was papal authority that ordained and commissioned Patrick to evangelise Ireland. Patrick and his successors were deeply conscious of that. ,From the beginning, Gaelic culture and Roman faith were fused. Subsequently centuries saw repeated efforts through invasion, plantation and coercion to eliminate such culture and faith.
Now we are (sadly, from my point of view) witnessing the triumph of liberal secularism. Homosexual sex, contraception and divorce have been given the "liberal" treatment in our society. So when, at a future date, abortion and euthanasia will go the same way, that "Liberal Agenda" will be complete.
What past efforts failed to achieve down the centuries has become a reality, the destruction of Gaelic Catholic Ireland. St Patrick's Day is increasingly a pagan feast celebrated by a pagan people. Perhaps a sense of deja vu for Hibernia. - Yours, etc
The Presbytery,
Martin Street,
Bishop's Waltham,
Southampton 503 IDN.