Sir, - Hugh Cummins (November 15th) lists an illustrious line of philosophers, film-makers and poets as believers in angels, from Rilke to Harold Bloom, from Walter Benjamin to Wim Wenders. May I join the discussion and admit with Abba that "I believe in angels" too?
I endorse the Catholic position that angels are pure spirit (viz., pure intellect), are personal, immortal and non-corporeal, that we all have guardian angels. There is a Feast of the Guardian Angels.
In my book The Irish Soul: In Dialogue I asked Cardinal Connell whether or not angels can sin, to which he replied in the affirmative. Lucifer sinned the sin of hubris. Satan is a fallen angel and took a legion of demon angels with him. That is the tradition of the Church.
Cardinal Connell told me that angels act with such perfection of knowledge and determination of will that there is no way in which the angel would ever change his mind. So there can be no redemption of angels. It was a truly fascinating conversation, which has sadly been overshadowed by other aspects that received more media mention.
In these cynical, secular times, it is refreshing to hear Cardinal Connell and Mr Cummins uphold a truly Rilkean vision. In the same book I quoted my friend, the philosopher, Richard Kearney, as saying, in one of his poems: "O angel of the last days, where are you?" But may I conclude with the wonderful words of Rilke's Duino Elegies: "Who would hear me if I cried, among the angelic orders?"- Yours, etc.,
Dr Stephen Costello, Dartmouth Road, Dublin 6.