Sir, - At last, after a long period of gloom and darkness, we see light in the longed-for decommissioning of weapons by the IRA. This event, along with the introduction of the new Police Service of Northern Ireland in November, may go a long way towards stabilising and normalising our society.
Let us hope and pray that the terrible sectarian murders and violence of the last six months have been the desperate death throes of those monsters of hatred and bigotry who have plagued us for centuries. However, very important work remains to be done.
All those with responsibility and influence in our community must now bring all their efforts to bear on ending the nightly clashes on our streets between gangs of thugs, both "nationalist" and "loyalist".
The attacks on people's homes, Catholic and Protestant, are intolerable and the entire community must throw its weight behind those trying to resolve these appalling situations.
Now that the decommissioning of weapons would seem to have been achieved, it is all the more important that hatred and sectarianism be decommissioned. We are seeing this poison most potently at work in the daily persecution of little girls trying to go to Holy Cross School.
Within certain brands of Unionism and Protestantism, there exists an implacable hatred of Catholics and attitudes of extreme suspicion and antagonism towards the Catholic Church. There are very worthy organisations within the Protestant community doing tremendous work in addressing this reality. However, more needs to be done.
Anti-Catholicism is evil. The Protestant churches must collectively address, for example, the manner in which Sacred Scripture is used to justify anti-Catholicism. This must be challenged and counteracted.
Ultimately, only through the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement can our society eventually be healed and reconciled. All elected representatives must now ensure this happens without further delay.
Normality, stability and equality for all will gradually dilute and eventually dissipate the highly toxic sectarianism which has brought such grief and misery to so many. - Yours, etc.,
Fr Patrick McCafferty, Sacred Heart, Glenview Street, Belfast 14.