Jake O’Kane’s articles are always very good, but his last paragraph (October 12), about married priests, is also very amusing. However, I am not sure that allowing priests to marry would be a return to general traditional Catholic values.
The great theologian of the 20th Century, Hans Uns Von Balthazar, SJ who had many inspirations from a Protestant woman who was a seer, Adrienne von Speryr, wrote that if Original Sin had not happened marriage would have been perfectly original but fecund. He did not explain this puzzle, but there is a possible answer in the idea of a transcendental beginning of creation and then its fall into the finite space-time state with mortal life that we experience here on earth, as I discussed in my letter (October 22).
The initial transcendental unity in which each person was present as non-divine knowledge in the divine mind committed Original Sin, except the Alpha Christ, the idea of the word becoming incarnate and the idea of Mary, the Immaculate Conception, and fell into a sinful multiplicity that we experience in this life on earth. The original unit of creation in the image of the three Divine persons in the one God, is being restored and fulfilled in the Omega Christ, by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
It follows from this that Jesus is the immaculate bridegroom of the Church intended in the Alpha Christ and completed in the Omega Christ as mentioned several times in the gospels, Mt 9:15; In 3:29; Es 5:22.
The Virgin Mary is the immaculate bride of the Holy Spirit and mother of all redeemed humanity.
Ordinary marriage between one man and one woman (see Genesis) is holy but is blemished by Original Sin, as sexual activity is never entirely altruistic. Thus all our conceptions except those of Jesus and Mary are also blemished, and we have to be reborn of the Holy Spirit.
The priest in persona Christi is also a bridegroom of the Church and is called to be original but fecund, as Balthazar said about marriage if Original Sin had not happened.
When the priest celebrates the sacraments and especially when he gives us the Eucharist he is father of our eternal immaculate humanity. Also, only men can be bridegrooms, so women cannot be priests.
Indeed, down the centuries Jesus invited some holy original women to be his brides, emphasising the marriage of the lamb.
However, I will admit that Jake has a good point about the early Church, especially in Ireland, when we consider the translation of the Irish names McTaggart and McAnespie.
PROF JOHN ROONEY
Belfast BT9
Increased knowledge of human embryology will expose abortion for what it is
Danny Treacy (November 5) thinks the abortion dialogue has become a ‘slanging match’. Mr Treacy is quite correct on this point, and is to be congratulated for highlighting an important observation.
The ‘slanging match’ suits the abortion industry perfectly, because the pro-choice movement fears science images more than
anything else. Stella Creasy MP, an English Labour politician, who has no mandate from the electorate in Ireland, has persistently sought reform of our abortion law.
Stella was infuriated, when an English based pro-life group, ran a #stopstella campaign in her London constituency.
The images of ‘nine-week living fetus’, featured in the successful campaign, hit pro-choice movement campaigners where it hurts most.
The internet and social media now allow Irish people to see and share those images.
There is mention of the north getting a 12 to 14 week time limit for abortion. Would Danny Treacy wish to comment on the ‘nine-week living fetus’ image used in the #stopstella campaign?
Is aborting a child of this gestation a grotesque human rights breach, and completely inconsistent with upholding civil rights?
A proper discussion of abortion ethics, without a slanging match developing, will come when the terms of reference of the debate are reshaped.
Increased public knowledge of human embryology may see abortion exposed for what it really is. The 1968 Civil Rights march to Derry’s Guildhall ignited ripples which we still feel.
The 2019 pro-life marches in Belfast will in time reap their own harvest, as the horror of abortion becomes increasingly exposed. Science images of normal human development have a power to habitually silence abortion supporters.
T J HARDY
Belfast BT5
Johnson’s Brexit deal is built on fear
Boris Johnson wants to push through his Brexit deal, which is markedly different to that of Theresa May’s, but not in a good way.
He seeking to please his rich cronies in his deal, opening the door to cutting the rights of ordinary workers, making it easier to sack people, force them to work longer hours and then pay them less money.
That is not all. His deal also opens the door to downgrading environmental protection, to let businesses pollute our air and water supplies, risking our kids and old people, just to save the polluters money.
This is why he wanted to ram through his deal through parliament in three days to stop MPs finding out exactly what he was trying to smuggle into law.
It gets worse. Donald Trump is determined that in any post-Brexit US trade negotiations the NHS and its drugs are part of the deal. US drugs will be much more expensive and doctors will be prevented from prescribing cheaper drugs. This simply to ensure US drug companies make huge profits, as they do in America. The result is a health service that is impoverished and people die. The US has the highest maternity death rate in the developed world. This is reality, not project fear.
Even the Brexit Party have said “we have government led by someone nobody has ever trusted in his entire career”.
PETE MILORY
Wiltshire, England
Disgust at politicians’ brazen attitude
I find it quite obnoxious that political parties are offering themselves to the public in the hope of being selected to govern the British people. When I take a look at British society I just cringe with disgust at their brazen attitude, for they have achieved nothing during their time elected other than a undeserved inflated salary.
Today human butchery and criminality is rampant in British society. It has now become a daily occurrence. Yet, those who get caught, are given a pitiful token jail sentence.
I ask what is wrong with returning the death penalty, for those who commit murder?
I challenge any politician to tell the public what these convicted murderers are costing the law-abiding taxpayer to keep them off our streets ?
HARRY STEPHENSON
Kircubbin, Co Down
