Hiding away the weeping Virgin

THE EDITOR: It is ironic that the very Archbishop who is reported as saying that the needs of Roman Catholics “are not being met by the Church” should be the very one to ignore requests to release from virtual imprisonment, the statue of Our Lady or Lourdes, the one that is shedding tears of blood.

Even more ironical and in fact amazing, is that Archbishop Edward Gilbert should make the statement at the recent La Divina Pastora festivities in Siparia. Are we to understand that it is all right to pay public homage to the Blessed Virgin as La Divina Pastora, but wrong to do so as Our Lady of Lourdes with tears of blood on her face? Tell us, Archbishop Gilbert. Tell us why there is suppression, and imprisonment of the statue at Mount St Benedict, when the Church is suffering from dwindling membership — a situation that could be partially or wholly corrected if the weeping virgin could be open to all as is done in other countries.

LLOYD CARTAR
Westmoorings