City’s Future Bleak if Lawlessness Not Addressed
Dear Editor: Regardless of one’s politics, every New Yorker should be appalled by the decision of both Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance and Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark not to pursue the prosecution of those who looted and vandalized our city last year.
By tossing out hundreds of cases because they didn’t want to put in the resources and work to bring those thieves and rioters to justice, they are clearly sending a message that such actions will be tolerated in the future if they are made in the name of social justice.
And who suffers is the small business owner whose businesses are shattered now just as they are trying to make a comeback from the shutdown caused by the pandemic.
The future of our city is bleak if the lawlessness and safety of our citizens are not addressed now by those elected to represent us!
Do your job now or resign!
Thomas and Constance Dowd
Brooklyn
Fight for Life and Faith
Dear Editor: Letter writers to the Readers Forum (June 26) — Hildegard Bachman, Cynthia Gonzales, and Maria Gigonti — expressed Catholic doctrine as it should be, especially by our clergy.
My long-held feelings have been that our parish clergy have not been emphasizing this issue enough. We have at our disposal a wonderful source, the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
It should be read by every adult and teenager who claims to be a Catholic.
It is a prime source of our faith. What is in it should not be taken lightly. It is fair and it is supreme. To reject a basic tenet of our faith, the right to life that begins in the womb held from the 1st century is to reject the faith.
To support persons or organizations that do so is to be complicit in their actions and very possibly incur a sentence of latae sententiae.
Robert J. Tillman
Richmond Hill
The Eucharist and the State of Grace
Dear Editor: When I was growing up in Brooklyn, I went to St. Barbara’s (which closed many years ago). I learned not to receive Communion unless I was in a state of grace. Abortion is a grave sin as is encouraging others to have an abortion or making others pay for someone else’s abortion.
So if President Biden wants to go to church he should in all good conscience refrain from receiving Communion. However, he continues to do so. Is that right? If I commit a grave sin I would refrain from receiving Communion until I can go to confession.
Should not Biden be held to the same standard? If not, then why do others have to follow any of the Church’s teachings? Biden’s priest should talk to him and tell him he cannot receive Communion because he is committing a grave sin. If he continues to go to Communion, what does that say? Does it say that he doesn’t believe in what the Eucharist means? If he doesn’t follow church teachings, doesn’t he make it easier for others to commit this sin? Doesn’t the priest have an obligation to withhold a sacrament from someone who is not in a state of grace? Is the priest “weaponizing” the Eucharist by withholding it or is Biden desecrating the Eucharist by receiving it?
I think Biden is playing politics with his religion, not the other way around. He sets a terrible example because he makes a mockery of our faith.
Hildegard Bachman
Oakton, Virginia
The Eucharist
Dear Editor: In reference to Ms. McGuinness’ letter (“Holy Communion Controversy,” July 3 & July 10), I am afraid that it is Ms. McGuinness who requires catechesis.
The reality of the Eucharist contains all other aspects of Catholicism: social teaching, health care, Sacraments, Church, Eschatology, Holy Trinity, Redemption, Resurrection, etc.
Yes, there are different courses on each aspect of Catholic teaching but they are all contained within the reality of the Eucharist.
It is the very core of Catholicism.
Stephen J. Trani
Brooklyn
VP Harris’ ‘Border’ Visit
Dear Editor: In the recent article about the visit of Vice President Kamala Harris to El Paso Texas, technically you reported the news accurately. However, she was nowhere near the problem area.
In fact, she was about 500 miles from where the crisis was happening. Her team probably tracked the closest Texas town to the border — El Paso — which is only five miles away but ensured no “crisis” was occurring there at the time.
The media would have done well to point out in the article that El Paso is far from the crisis area. It was a cameo appearance and satisfied the claim that she hadn’t visited the border.
Tom Sullivan
New York