Improving the Beauty of Liturgy

Dear Editor: The retired Pope Benedict XVI recently gave a speech on the continuance of sacred music. He said that music would always reveal “beauty.” I refer this to the music in the Catholic Church, having served as a choir master in a parish. There will be “beautiful music” in the Catholic Church if the congregation wants it! Notice, I used the word “congregation.”

Dancing With David

Dear Editor: Three cheers for the actress Alexa Pena Vega in selecting the biblical figure David as a hero of hers for an episode of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

Columnist’s Opinion

Dear Editor: I was disappointed in Effie Caldarola’s column (Oct. 24) “Seeing ‘the Other’ in the Year of Mercy.” I always enjoy reading her essays that are syndicated by Catholic News Service. However, I expect her to be politically neutral.

Both Parties Bear Blame

Dear Editor: It’s hard to keep up with everyone. I’m responding to Democrat Lib Rick O’Connell’s criticism (Nov. 14) of Republican George Weigel’s column (Nov. 7) supporting Paul Ryan. A plague on both your houses. Paul Ryan just voted with the RINO Republicans who teamed up with Obama to increase the debt on my grandkids by $1+ trillion dollars. Not only that, they signed a two-year deal, tying the hands of the next Republican President, Ted Cruz … extending Obama’s spending into the ninth year of his eight-year term.

The Tablet as Historical Record

Dear Editor: The letters to the editor during recent weeks had me thinking about this. The letters told of the effect of the sisters and brothers on the lives of their former students. Little is written about the effect of the religious on Catholic education. The present younger generation has a “skewed” opinion of the way education might have been conducted in those days. They think that we “learned or else” – facing certain punishment if we answered incorrectly.

The Truth About Feminism

Dear Editor: In her letter (Nov. 7), Pat D’Andrea summons the feminist myth that whenever there are not a lot of women present at a deliberation, such as the recent synod, there is some sort of implicit sociological disrespect toward women intended and where complete truthful propositions cannot possibly emerge. This isn’t true. At the […]

Politics

Dear Editor: George Weigel’s column (Nov. 7, “The Speaker and Social Doctrine”) in seeking to show his political preference for Paul Ryan and Republican Party economic and social policies, does a major disservice in misrepresenting Catholic social teaching.

Parade Never Discriminated

Dear Editor: I first participated in New York’s great St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 1938, became a delegate in 1958, was an Aide to Grand Marshal Paul O’Dwyer in 1974, and was myself the Grand Marshal in 1986. I can tell you without reservation that no one was ever prohibited from participating in this parade because of their sexual orientation. All this controversy is media made and totally untrue.

National Debt Is No Joke

Dear Editor: The cartoon in The Tablet states that Donald Trump could pay the national debt by himself. Although this is meant as a joke, it reflects the common ignorance of large figures… . To pay the national debt, we would need 1,535 Trumps.

Women Needed at Future Synods

Dear Editor: The absence of more women being involved in Church matters is like the Dark Ages’ ancient laws: no women allowed.