Sir, - In 1988-89, the bones of St Lazar of Serbia were toured around the monasteries of Yugoslavia. Serbs flocked to pray before him as a prelude to their commemorations of the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo. This event was translated into nationalist euphoria (later followed by war and massacre), of which Slobodan Milosovic took complete advantage.
There is obviously no real parallel between the countrywide journey of the relics of St Therese in Ireland and that of St Lazar. Perhaps it is as well to be reminded, however, of the potential for popular manipulation.
The 1994 edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: "In addition to the liturgy, Christian life is nourished by various forms of popular piety, rooted in the different cultures. While carefully clarifying them in the light of faith [my italics], the Church fosters the forms of popular piety that express an evangelical instinct and a human wisdom and that enrich Christian life." Among the list of such pieties is the veneration of relics. So far so good.
However, it is also clear from the Catechism that such pietistic activities cannot be the sole conduit of faith. If taken too far, the veneration of relics could come close to superstition and consequently a sin against hope in the context of the First Commandment, e.g: "to attribute the efficacy of prayers or sacramental signs to their more external performance. . .is to fall into superstition."
So, despite Tim O'Brien's plea for tolerance (An Irishman's Diary, May 5th), which equates the tour of St Therese's relics to the veneration of the memory of Princess Diana or Elvis, I don't think it's as simple as he pretends. - Yours, etc.,
Eilish MacCurtain Pearce, Trafalgar Terrace, Monkstown, Co Dublin.