Sir, - It saddens and disappoints me to read frequent calls to remove the Angelus from RTE. Pluralism, to which we purport to subscribe, means opening ourselves up to customs of persuasions other than our own, not shutting down anything which is not our way of thinking.
In an ever-busy world we need more, not less, moments of calm and quiet. For the Christian it can be in prayer, for others a moment to contemplate the wonders of creation, thankfulness for friends, or whatever brings peace and comfort.
The Angelus may be specifically Roman Catholic, but many years ago a friend suggested to me, a member of the Church of Ireland, that the Kyrie and Lords Prayer - "Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy, Our Father . . ." - fit very well into the tones of the Angelus. I use it any time I hear the bells.
I am sure other religions, including non-Christians, and even those of no religion would be able to find suitable words to fit. Just to stop what we are doing and be calm and quiet for a minute can surely only do us good. - Yours, etc., Rev. Alan Shaw,
St. Patrick's Rectory, Kenmare, Co Kerry.