Sir, - With regard to Kevin Myer's mean-spirited comments (An Irishman's Diary, April 24th) concerning members of our Defence Forces "acting as pallbearers" for the Reliquary of St. Therese, I have to say I cannot recall reading any article by him lambasting the Russian soldiers of the elite Kremlin Guard who "acted as pallbearers" for the Reliquary of St Therese in Moscow, in front of the old KGB building, at the official reception on March 13th, 1999. - Yours, etc.,
Geraldine Raftery, Flemingstown Park, Churchtown, Dublin 14.
Kevin Myers is absolutely correct (April 24th) that escorting relics is not the job of the Defence Forces. Their true calling is escorting heaps of money around the country in service of the banks. After all, money is the new god, banks are the new churches and businessmen are the new saints.
I can hardly wait until they all become relics themselves. - Yours, etc,
Daniel Dowdall, Lower Shore, Omeath, Co Louth.
Sir, - Parading the relics of one of its appointed saints (admirable though she was) around the country and drawing crowds in the process may provide some temporary reassurance to a church whose numbers have long been in decline.
However, I would suggest its Hierarchy might better serve the real spiritual needs of the remaining faithful by providing insightful direction and practical help in such areas as personal and spiritual growth.
The day-to-day individual living of the Gospel in the modern world is surely more relevant, if less crowd-pleasing, than a medieval spectacle. - Yours, etc.,
Mark Finnan, Bailieboro, Ontario, Canada.