Opinion

No such thing as a ‘popular Church’ imagined by Mr Gibney

The Yes vote was an exercise in human liberation at the ballot box, claims Jim Gibney (June 6). It was anything but that. 

The massive ‘Yes’ vote was tragically predictable in view of the full-on and aggressive campaign waged.


May 25th will go down in the fullness of time as a dark and ignominious day in Irish history.  

Many of those cheering and celebrating so wildly that day may indeed have been unaware of the true nature of that for which they voted. 

The real culpability lies with those men and women, in responsible and influential positions, who knew – and know – full well the extent of what will be unleashed on our shores.There was no “commanding force and authority” behind the landslide Yes vote but a gullible acceptance of the global abortion industry’s insidious propaganda that was determined to have its way in the 26 counties.

The obscene twisting of beautiful human qualities such as “compassion, trust and care” by abortion lobbyists, only adds to the horror of what has come to pass.

Mr Gibney refers to a “popular Church” in which, according to his astonishing logic, it is possible for people to “decide for abortion” and “remain true to their religious beliefs”.

There is no such thing as this “popular Church” imagined by Jim Gibney and others. There is only the Church of Jesus Christ in which He Himself “dots the i’s and crosses the t’s” (see Matthew 5:17-18). This “popular Church” is a total fallacy which cannot save people’s souls.

Whatever about contraception and divorce which, unlike abortion, are not matters of life and death, you cannot be pro-abortion and remain a Catholic. Abortion is among those very grave matters that result in excommunication with immediate effect.

The true Church of Jesus Christ in this wicked age (Galatians 1:4) will remain faithful to Him and preach His Word that saves the souls of men and women. There are still hundreds of thousands of women and men, of all ages, in Ireland north and south, who will determinedly resist abortion with God’s help.

The battle for life and truth in Ireland will continue, towards the ultimate and eternal vindication of that cause, by its already victorious champion –the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fr PATRICK McCAFFERTY


Belfast BT12

Flag erectors indifferent to consequences of their actions

Last year a Belfast community newspaper published a letter claiming that Estate Agents calculated that the flying of flags in districts had the effect of depressing house values by between 8 per cent and 20 per cent. The latter figure seems extreme but undoubtedly the erection of flags in housing areas will discourage at least 50 per cent of prospective purchasers leading to a reduction in a property’s investment potential.

The people erecting the flags are an apparently well-funded, well-organised, anonymous body of men whose activities are carried out mainly at night in areas they themselves don’t live in. Residents are not consulted and the flag erectors are indifferent to the consequences of their activities on the families whose assets they are devaluing.

An innocent view of their aims is that they are merely celebrating loyalist culture but a more plausible explanation is that is an assertion of territorial control which is intimidating. People are free to fly flags from their houses should they choose to but it is intolerable and threatening to have it imposed and to see formerly mixed areas being potentially turned into loyalist estates.

Parts of my own area in north Belfast are seeing an insidious encroachment and it’s extraordinary that law-abiding and rate-paying citizens have no access to help from any public authority.

NADINE HOLMES


Belfast BT14

It sure is an interesting world

First we see President Trump shaking hands with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un, followed by the Prince of Wales  shaking hands with Gerry Kelly, a prominent member of Sinn Féin.

What President Trump does interests me little, as I am more interested in the shaking of hands between the future king of England and a devoted Sinn Féin supporter of Ireland’s unification.

I guess it would be fair to assume, that there would be members of both Sinn Féin and the DUP who feel nauseated at such a strange event occurring.

I consider there will never be peace for the people of this island until unification occurs.

Beyond any doubt politicians are responsible for today’s global upheaval that surrounds us.

With regard to Ireland’s unification, I ask is Ireland big enough to stand alone? Possibly not. So who should  a 32-county Ireland then align itself to, the EU or Britain?

I guess it would be anathema to some if Ireland aligned itself with Britain but at least its people would be united, a 32-county Ireland would have greater independence to govern itself, than the 26 counties presently has.

The European Union is a whisker away from losing its largest financial benefactor, so I ask what happens then to the European Union?

HARRY STEPHENSON


Kircubbin, Co Down

Threat to academic freedom

When the taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, opened the Féile on Phobail festival, in St Mary’s University College, west Belfast, he supported the right of people in the north to enjoy freedoms exercised down south and in Britain.

Fr Patrick McCafferty of west Belfast objects because abortion is included (June 13). His demand that St Mary’s, a ‘Catholic institution’, exercise censorship and ban such sentiments contains a threat to academic freedom. The institution has the word ‘university’ in its name. If the threat is taken seriously or is pursued, staff and students with views different from Fr McCafferty’s may keep quiet, for fear of either loss of employment or expulsion.

As St Mary’s is a college within Queen’s University, it is incumbent on the institution, at some level, to guarantee freedom of speech. Would students in St Mary’s be permitted to stage a debate on campus between the taoiseach and Fr McCafferty, on this subject? Though Fr McCafferty might choose to censor himself if he could not censor the taoiseach, this question needs to be answered.

Fr McCafferty announced previously that he would not allow to marry in his church any parishioners who oppose laws forcing a woman to give birth (whatever the tragic, or other, circumstances). He is consistent in attempting to use the institution he represents to stifle argument.

It is not surprising that such views are emerging in the north of Ireland, where fundamentalists in all Christian traditions are attempting to partition off women from rights obtained, or to be soon enacted, in the rest of these islands.

Dr NIALL MEEHAN


Griffith College, Dublin