If ever we needed inspiration from St Francis, it is now

THERE are aspects of Catholicism that defy belief, among them the veneration of holy relics, weeping statues and apparitions, as well as much of the faux-theology about Mary put about by misogynistic male Churchmen horrified by the thought that the son of God might be born of an ordinary woman.

Not only was Mary deemed to be conceived without sin, her mother had to be a vessel of purity too. As ever with the Church, it’s really a hang-up about sex.

Although notions of the Immaculate Conception have been around since medieval times, it was only confirmed as dogma in 1854 by Pope Pius IX.

Why couldn’t the Son of Man be born like the rest of humanity he was here to save? Letters to the editor please.

Patrick Murphy: The GAA’s nakedness has been exposed over its Allianz links

Tom Kelly: Unrepentant Blair shows he has learned nothing and forgotten nothing

Any of us who have held a new-born baby in our arms will know that the concept of ‘original sin’ is bunkum. Babies are not called ‘innocents’ for nothing. What happens to us after birth is another matter.

If you’ve lasted this long, you must be asking why have I set off on this subject.

There are more pressing things in the world to talk about: the decline and fall of the British monarchy; pay........

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