St Patrick And Ireland

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31981, 7 May 1969, Page 16

St Patrick And Ireland

Sir,—According to Mr MadL gan, Patrick of Ireland received education and monetary assistance from Rome., This is historically inaceur-1 ate. Patrick by time sequence , alone could never have owed - allegiance to the Church of Rome. The Celtic churches throughout his.time, were very isolated communities of monks and preachers and according to most- historians Were Christian, not Catholic. The message Patrick . had borne to Ireland returned to England half a century later through Colomba and his. disciples who founded the Scottish Christian Church. Still half a century Wr vthe religion' of Patrick, although monastic in form, spread without touching Rome. Proof of this was ti>e liter’conflict between these British and Celtic churches and the Roman Catholic Mission of 597. If Mr Madigan is still in doubt he might refer to “AHistory of the English Church” by William Hunt, Patterson’s “History of the Church of England,” 'and perhaps, also Churchill.—Yours, etc., D.C.F. May 6, 1969. ' ' ’ ' ! ■" Sir,—St Patrick came from Scotland and conducted his first Christian service at CJty of Downpatrick in County Down, not Armagh County or its capital City of Armagh, some 60 miles away. He is buried in the churchyard of the Protestant 'St'. Patrick’s 1 Cathedral in Downpatrick of the Church of Ireland denom-ination-further proof he was independent of Rome. Also Dublin’s only and very old St Patrick’s Cathedral still with its proudly flying British Union Jack flags inside, is not a Roman Catholic Church.— Yours, etc., KIWI TRAVELLER. May 4, 1969. Tyre Regulations Sir,—lf “Retyred Motorist” finds a motor-vehicle too expensive to run, why can he not catch buses, cycle, or walk, as many others do? If he must run a ear, for reasons best known to himself, he should be prepared to spend money to increase, tbe safety of what is basically a lethal weapon;—Yours, etc., JOSELYN DARLING. May 6, 1989. ;