Noncitizen Voting Rights
Dear Editor: We had high hopes for Eric Adams to get this great city on a fast track to recovery, despite the fact that, at one of the mayoral debates, he gave former Mayor Bill de Blasio high marks on his performance as mayor.
Though he hopes to work with Governor Hochul to finally fix the badly flawed state bail reform bill, he has stated that he agrees with the recent city council bill to give 800,000 noncitizens the right to vote in local elections. This is unconscionable. Even former Mayor de Blasio did the right thing by not signing it into law.
When are we going to stop taking on voting rights so cheaply and return to a city that respects law and order?
Thomas and Constance Dowd
Oakland Gardens
A Vote for Our View
Dear Editor: I am heartened by The Tablet’s editorial on noncitizen voting in New York City (“NYC Politicians Vote To Cheapen Citizenship,” Dec.18), which dilutes my vote and the vote of every person for whom citizenship is a value and perhaps goal.
Robert Petty
Bay Ridge
Synodality at St. Luke
Dear Editor: On Saturday, Jan. 8, about 16 hardy souls from St. Luke Parish answered the call for a “Synod on Synodality.” Our pastor, Father John Costello, had prepared us by sending a list of suggested discussion topics and a document explaining “Just What is a Synod, Anyway?”
Following Mass, Father Costello opened the session with an overview of the day’s questions and divided us into four teams for dialogue on the topics. There was great cooperation among team members.
At the conclusion of all the discussions, Father Costello explained just how complicated the whole “participatory synodality” idea was, in that it involved input all the way from the individual parish level, to deaneries, to Bishop Brennan, then the Conference of Catholic Bishops in America, and onwards to Rome itself.
So, even if only two words out of all of our collaboration and dialogue on that day wind up in Pope Francis’ personal final report, as Father Costello said, we all felt a spirit of camaraderie and gratitude for the new spirit of “include the people in the pews” on the part of our Church leaders.
Garrett Dempsey
Whitestone
Weigel Went Too Easy
Dear Editor: I love George Weigel’s column (USCCB Certainly Had a Stance on Abortion, Dec. 11), however, I think he might have been a little easy on the U.S. bishops and their document on the Mystery of the Eucharist.
He was right to point out the error of some of the criticism of the document, but, in my estimation, he should have pointed out that the document could have been clearer and stronger in dealing with Catholic public figures who flout Catholic teaching.
He mentions the section that talks about counseling wayward politicians and administrators. However, rather than just telling them not to present themselves for Communion, they need to be prohibited from receiving Communion. I think the USCCB missed an excellent opportunity to clearly explain the difference between negotiable and non-negotiable principles and actions.
Tom Kloceke
Chesapeake, Va.
Cheers for Gil Hodges
Dear Editor: My family is so happy for the Hodges family on the election of Gil to the Hall of Fame.
We were neighbors of them on East 32nd Street. I was in grammar school for three years with Gil Jr. at the former Our Lady Help of Christians school. Years later, my dad and I were ushers at his wake, held in the church, and funeral.
We all knew who Gil was on the block, but I do not remember anyone ever bothering him for an autograph.
It is nice to have known a baseball Hall of Famer, especially someone with the class of Mr. Hodges.
Congratulations Gil. My Dad will talk to you up in heaven about the good days.
Robert Smith
Staten Island