Letters to the Editor

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New Mass responses not how we speak to one another

In a world with so many issues—starvation, war, terrorism—I find it totally ridiculous that the men deciding what we Catholics should do are concerned with the wording of the responses at Mass.

It reminds me of the Church of my youth. We had no input, were told not to question and could understand little of what went on.

The new responses are not how we speak to one another. They want us to translate Latin literally. Some translations treat Latin as if it had been the language Jesus himself spoke.

If these men want to change language, why don’t they start with “for us men and our salvation,” excluding 50 percent of Catholics called women.

Sometimes I feel that the breath of fresh air afforded by Vatican II never happened or is subtly being reversed by a few men with instructions from Rome.

-Jenine Plump, Indianapolis

Let’s put an end to taking of innocent lives by war

There have been several articles in The Criterion lately about folks writing in wanting to abolish the death penalty for those murderers who rob, rape and kill their victims. These murderers have no regard for human life, and some will kill people they don’t even know just for sport.

I think it is strange that I hear or see nothing from these folks about all the thousands of innocent men, women, children and babies that are being murdered in this war. Where is their concern about that?

It seems to me that these murderers get a lot of compassion and sympathy from these folks that want to abolish the death penalty, while the victims get very little or none.

I say if we are going to abolish something, let it be war. Let’s settle disagreements by negotiations, not by killing each other or all the good and innocent people who are killed in a war.

-Willard Hester, Greenwood

Thanks for the great article about Last Supper sculpture

We here at St. Christopher Church want to thank Mary Ann Wyand for your wonderful and generous presentation of the unveiling of our Last Supper sculpture (The Criterion, July 28).

Due to your excellent coverage, a large number of people stopped by to enjoy the beauty of the piece, to pray and to receive inspiration from it.

Your excellent coverage was instrumental in the success of our dedication, and we offer our sincere thanks and appreciation.

-Father Michael Welch, pastor
St. Christopher Parish, Indianapolis

Reader: Israel has right to defend itself in war

After reading the headline in the Aug. 4 issue, “Pope calls for cease-fire after Israel raid kills children” (and although the pope is the leader of my Church), I felt that I had to respond and disagree with both the article and the pope.

Why not include pictures of terrorists’ rockets hitting innocent civilians and children in Israel?

I, as a Catholic and a Christian who is called to respect all life, cannot agree with asking Israel to lay down their arms so their “children” can be killed by terrorists’ rockets.

I respectfully ask this: What would happen to terrorists if they laid down their arms? (Nothing.) What would happen to Israel if they laid down their arms? (The same as the Holocaust; they would all be killed).

-Allen Smith, New Albany